Teacher's Pet
by VampireQueen21
Summary: DA XO Xtremer. Alec is sent on a mission to apprehend X5711. The way he gets close is to impersonate a teacher, unfortunately for him he encounters X5711’s very protective older sister.
1. Prologue

Title: Teacher's Pet

Author: Dez/Jezebel Jinx/VampireQueen21

Rating: Mature

Pairings: Liz/Alec, Alex/Isabel, possible Maxie/Biggs, and Alex/? (know who but not telling yet)

Summary: Alec is sent on a mission to apprehend X5-711. The way he gets close is to impersonate a teacher, unfortunately for him he encounters X5-711's very protective older sister.

Note: This is the first X-tremer fic I thought about writing. So it holds a special place in my heart, as do all my first fics.

Note 2: Liz will be OoC at times, not so much in front of the other Roswell people but in front of Alex and a few others. Also Max isn't really an asshole in this—sometimes he'll have his moments of course, as will the others. As for Alex he will have his own story line that while intertwined with Liz's will be completely separate as well—did that make sense? Trying a little something new putting a bunch of Alex in the mix, I'm normally 90 all Liz story line-all the time.

Disclaimer: I own nothing I swear, although I wish I could own Alec.

**Prologue**

_August 30, 2020; 5 miles from Crashdown Café, 2:37 p.m._

It was a gorgeous sunny day in post-pulse Roswell, New Mexico. Although their town was only 'tickled' by the blast compared to the big cities where everything sputtered and died on them. Here a computer flickered and lights flashed and everything electronic went tits up as well. However within a year the town got back on its feet.

Since then they've had a few people come to the town from the worse-off cities but not as many as one would expect. It's so difficult to get a pass to leave the cities on anything other than business or vacation; so it goes without saying that it is nearly impossible to get a pass to move out of a city and into a new one.

Alex Whitman sat silently next to Liz Parker as she drove the Jeep Cherokee faster down the main highway. He picked at the dirt caked on his jeans, it took an act of God to raise his leg up, how the hell was he going to get out of the Jeep when Liz stopped. They've been on the road non-stop for twelve hours, Liz didn't even want to stop for pee-breaks and she hadn't spoken a word to him since they left, he's worried about her.

"We had no choice Liz, we had to leave Zack behind. It wouldn't have done him any good if we got ourselves captured too." Alex spoke up. He wished Maxie was still alive, but she couldn't be not after he saw her get shot by her younger clone. Nobody, even a transgenic, could survive those point blank hits to the chest.

"I know." As much as she hated to admit it Alex was right. "We could have stayed in Seattle though. Besides Maria what's really holding us here?"

"You don't mean that. We have plenty holding us here. Our parents are here. Our friends. This is our life now, not traipsing from town to town." With difficulty he turned, the caked on dirt giving him problems. "Are you thinking about--you're not going to leave are you?" Worried he's going to be alone for the first time in his life.

Liz vehemently shook her head. "No, the only way I'd leave is if you came with me. You're my brother Alex, we're family. If you stay, so do I." She assured him; her grip on the steering wheel tightened the tiniest bit. Just because she's staying didn't mean she liked it.

As vicious and unfeeling as Lydecker was he was right about one thing. Attachments made them weak. The only solid attachment she allowed herself was Alex. Everyone else she could drop as easily as yesterday's paper and not feel the least bit guilty. She turned the Jeep into the Crashdown parking lot and cut the engine.

Neither sibling left the car, with their enhanced hearing they could pick up the sounds from the backroom. Their group of friends were in there watching or at least listening to a news report. A news anchor was sharing the top story of the month, the explosion at a hospital in Seattle. A month, it'd been a month since she and her brothers and sisters planned an attack on a Manticore base.

However the news and radio reports all said it was a hospital. Only a few select people knew different. Instead of heading home like Alex wanted to a week after the planned mission Liz managed to convince him to stay a few more weeks. She was desperate to find Zack and break him out. Hopefully she could get Max's body as well but that, although it pained her to admit, wasn't necessary.

Eventually Alex convinced her that there was nothing else they could do and it was time to go home before their friends began to question their absence. "At some point we're going to have to go inside Liz." Alex teased.

"We'll go up the fire escape and change upstairs. There should be some of your clothes in my bottom dresser drawer." She told him. "If we walk in looking like Dirt Boy and Mud Girl they're going to have questions."

"And they won't have questions when we show up with all these cuts and bruises?" Before they left Logan Cale, Max's friend, talked them into doing one last favor. They helped out the S1W, a group Logan hooked up with to help with their cause. To make a long story unbelievably short their favor involved getting them into a warehouse that kept a lot of private files. Alex and Liz waited outside taking care of the ten or so guards, since it rained the night before dirt became mud and the transgenics while dealing with guards rolled around in it.

Alex sighed and opened his passenger door; Liz followed suit and the two cautiously but as quickly as they could with the dried dirt hindering their movements climb up her ladder to her balcony. He went to the guestroom after grabbing some of his clothes and took a shower while Liz did the same in her bathroom. Soon they would have to face their friends and she was not looking forward to that.

_Manticore_

Renfro rewound the tape and pushed play. She's viewed the security tape ten times and each time her anger receded. X5-711 had been missing since the escape of 09' along with the others but he seemed to have an exceptional ability to not be found. Not once had another X-series come across a trace of him or his older sister X5-931. After the great escape they disappeared off the face of the Earth, until a month ago.

711's face was clearly seen in the footage, unfortunately it cut off before it caught his accomplice. Although if she were the betting type she'd put money on it being 931. The knock she had been waiting for finally came. "Enter." Her voice cold and sharp.

X5-494 opened the door; he's accompanied by two guards on either side of him. He stood at attention and waited for his orders. From what the guards told him last week, he's going to be paired with the newbie and ex-escapee 452. Didn't quite know how to feel about that, she's easy on the eyes but she'd been on the outside for years, he had no clue what kind of diseases she may have.

"494, I have an assignment for you. It's undercover, which you seem to excel at. Quite recently we managed to get a visual on X5-711. He is a high school student at West Roswell High in New Mexico. It is likely that his sister 931 will be there as well but that is not a guarantee. You are to go to Roswell, New Mexico and become a high school teacher there. This is a capture mission; we want him and if 931 is there, alive. You're assignments name is Alexander Whitman."

TBC


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_30 Minutes Later_

Showered and clean from the pounds of mud she scraped off her body Liz entered her bedroom with a towel around her mid-section. Alex was lounging on her bed waiting for her. "Don't start with me Alex." What he wanted to talk about was clearly displayed on his face. For someone who got high marks in deception he's either losing some his training or she's been around Alex so often she could read him as well as he could read her.

From below she could clearly hear the reports continuing; the genetics lab they destroyed was turned into a children's hospital, the lives lost were turned from scientists and soldiers to children and parents. Manticore always found a way to cover up their bases.

"I don't understand why you're pulling the plug on your and Max's relationship. When you left him in that cave he called Maria—who called me. He said he wants to be with you not Tess." They hadn't spoken of anything Roswell related from the second that they got the call from Zack ordering their help.

"You know why Alex." She slipped on a pair of underwear and blue jeans. "Max deserves to be with someone that can be with him without worrying that they will leave him in a instant to storm a military base to rescue fellow transgenics."

"That's not good enough." He shook his head not rising from the bed. "I'm with Isabel and that worry is still hanging over my head." Alex verbally cornered her; he wanted to hear Liz say it.

"How about when I go into heat I practically try to rape him…" Alex opened his mouth to argue but Liz beat him to it. "I know-I know, he's willing so technically it wouldn't be rape. But I have no control, I could crush his bones." They hadn't done anything yet but not for her lack of trying. Dreaded heat kicked in and she was a slave to the animal lust. The only male safe around her was Alex, she sensed he was blood, family and instantly rejected him as a possible mate.

He still stared at her—that's not the true reason. Yes, it was a small portion of it but not all of it. Liz sighed, "Is 'I don't love him' a good enough reason?" Now that's what he wanted to hear. He's suspected for months that her love for Max wasn't the soulmate love Maria always spoke of. "I do love him as a friend, I confused friendship for I-wanna-be-together-forever love. Tess can love him like that." She shed the towel and put her bra and shirt on.

As if she suddenly got that he knew all along the amount of emotion she felt for Max she lifted her gaze to the ceiling and chuckled without feeling. "And you knew all along." Liz sighed shaking her head.

"Guilty. Now I can tell Isabel with the utmost honesty that you don't love him like you should and are breaking the relationship off before either of you get to much more invested and end up hurting each other to a larger degree." Alex grinned. He hated lying to Isabel and now that Liz had spoken his suspicions out loud it'll be easier for her to say it to the others and to Max.

Liz rolled her eyes, sat on the bed and slipped on her shoes. "You're Isabel whipped you know that right?" She teased.

Alex stood from the bed, "Damn proud of it too. Not only does it ensure I live for another day it also gets me a hot make out session with the blond bombshell."

"Ok, way too much information." She lifted her wet hair into a ponytail and stood joining Alex by her bedroom door. "Friendly note—don't tell me about kissing Isabel. Don't need to hear about where your tongues been hanging out."

Alex copied her eye-roll perfectly. "Come on, we got friends still down there watching TV when they should be welcoming us home." He wrapped his lanky yet muscular arm around her shoulder guiding her toward the front door that would lead them to the Crashdown backroom.

Although they were biologically brother and sister they had different adoptive parents. They were found together but the Parker's only wanted one child. When it was discovered they were brother and sister the Parker's went to their friends the Whitman's who had also been looking for a child to make their own. They fell in love with Alex and adopted him, while the Parker's adopted her.

At first it was difficult to be apart from Alex but as they grew up and threats became practically non-existent it got easier. When the Parker's and Whitman's enrolled them in school they put the brother and sister in the same grade. The adoption agency didn't know who was older or younger so they wrote on their files that they were twins.

No one in school understood why the two new kids gravitated towards each other immediately. For some odd reason neither the Whitman's nor the Parker's mentioned Alex and Liz true relationship. They only spent time with each other that first year; it wasn't until the next year that Maria joined their little circle.

Alex opened the front door and they descend the stairs into the Crashdown's backroom. Isabel, Max, and Maria were reclining on the couch enraptured by the TV, Michael was leaning against the lockers, and Jim and Nasedo were standing close to the back door. Tess was no where to be found, and Kyle probably wasn't back yet from football camp. Maria glanced up and saw her two best friends.

"Oh my God you're back." She leapt up from her spot and hugged the siblings. Liz grimaced at Maria's squeeze; it was so quick Max wondered if it was his imagination.

"Liz? Are you all right?"

"Yeah Max I'm fine why?" She shrugged her shoulders. Maria touched a sore rib, one that had been constantly kicked by the guard that surprised her while she was busy with two others. It's healing fast but was still unbelievably tender.

"Nothing." He shook his head; maybe it was his imagination.

"How was Florida and Camp Dork?" Maria knew exactly where the two have been this summer but none of the others did nor would they ever. Transgenics had managed to stay out of the media and away from the public eye.

Alex rose an eyebrow at her 'Camp Dork' comment, interesting name. "Camp was fun." He started to tell them more but Isabel embracing him cut off anything he was going to say. "Oh now this I missed." He refrained from reaching down to grab her shapely behind.

While Alex and Isabel caught up on lost weeks Max used the opportunity to move close to Liz. "I missed you Liz." He whispered.

"Oh, umm—I missed you too Max." All it took was a brief brush of his hand in comfort to make her wince. The touch, if his expression was a clue, meant far more to him than it did to her. She needed to let him know nothing could ever be between them again.

"Liz—what is it?" Why was she cringing at his touch? Did he disgust her now? No, that couldn't be it, Liz wasn't like that.

Alex spared Liz a glance. There's no mistaking the look, 'tell him, let him know once and for all'. He nodded only slightly before turning back to Isabel. Hopefully Max wouldn't say something that Liz couldn't resist. She may have her mind set on breaking up with him for good but to avoid a scene she'd bend to his words. He hoped that she took him upstairs that way she'd be less likely to give in.

"Max. We need to talk. But not here. Upstairs?" Alex visibly sighed; Liz was on the same wavelength as him. Max barely nodded his agreement when she turned and hurried back up the stairs that two minutes ago she came down. Max ran to catch up, she's moving awfully fast and he's out of breath by the time he reached the top.

"What did you want to tell me?"

TBC


	3. Chapter 2

A.N. Alec is in the chapter. Yay! He wasn't originally in fact at first he wouldn't make an appearance till chapter 4 and even that was looking to be a small part. However this chapter was really skimpy, a little over a page, and seemed like something was missing and than it hit me. Alec! So hope everyone enjoys.

**Chapter 2**

"Liz?" Max stared at her with worry when she didn't answer him. "What did you have to tell me?" He placed his hands on her shoulders massaging the tense muscles.

His firm hands and nibble fingers dug into her sore muscles causing some pain, but mostly relief. Even when he wasn't using his gifts he's able to heal. Reluctantly she backed away from the soothing touch and steeled her nerves; she had to do this. "Umm, this isn't easy Max."

"Whatever it is just tell me. We'll work it out." He swore.

Why did he have to be so understanding? Couldn't he have one of his moments when he's selfish and negative? Of course not, he had to be sweet and sensitive to her needs. "Ok, I'm going to just say it." It's like ripping off a band-aid quick and relatively painless. "I don't love you Max, and we're not getting back together—ever." Oh she's such a bitch. It's said that finding flaws in one's self can be difficult but in this case even she knew how bitchy and cold she was toward him.

Max lost his boyish grin. The pain in his eyes ripped at her heart. Emotions played out on his face like a slideshow. She'd see a brief glimpse and then it'd be gone as if it'd never been there.

"I'm sorry Max, you deserve someone that can love you the way you love them." Liz tried to tell him but he turned away putting his back to her.

That seemed to be a common blunder people made when it came to her. They thought she wouldn't pose a threat but were sadly mistaken when she either killed them or escaped without making a sound. Alex's special ability was blending in, staying out of sight, while hers was escaping from any situation. Of course that didn't extend to matters of the heart, her transgenic training abandoned her on that front.

"But I love you Liz." He turned back around. "I want you to be the girl that loves me back." Max argued. He couldn't accept that she didn't love him. They were soulmates, he felt her.

"I can't be that girl. I'm not that girl." If she didn't care about him she'd have vanished by now or worse case scenario snapped his neck. She wasn't good at dealing with these personal feelings. Disappearing and killing didn't involve these irritating affections, at least than she could blame her transgenic side for her ruthlessness but this—this was all Liz.

"Yes you can be. We're good together, great even. Why are you saying these things?"

Sighing she leaned against the wall. "Because they're true Max I can't stay in a relationship with you because I don't love you. This isn't something that's going to change…" Max shook his head violently, abruptly leaving from the apartment.

Alex rose his head from Isabel's and saw Max hurry down the stairs. He heard the conversation, Liz was being cold and Max wasn't listening. He could hear the moment Jondy, Liz's transgenic side, began to show herself. When Max turned his back on her to sort out his jumbled thoughts

How did he know he turned away from Liz? He heard the footsteps; his special hearing certainly came in handy. Jondy hated and loved when people turned their back to her. Hated because she didn't like it when anyone thought she was harmless and loved it because it gave her a way to escape or kill.

Jondy and Jax, his transgenic side, were the perfect team. He'd be the best at keeping them out of sight, but if by the slightest chance they were caught she could get them out.

"Max?" Isabel stopped him from leaving. At the top of the stairs Liz slowly descended the stairs one at a time.

"Let me go Isabel, there are some things I have to deal with. I can't do it here." He broke out of his sister's grip; he couldn't leave the Crashdown fast enough.

Isabel turned a hateful gaze to Liz. "What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything that didn't have to be done." Her voice was weary but cold.

"What does that mean?" She advanced on Liz; she'd get to the bottom of why Max looked like he was hit by a Mac-Truck not once but twice.

"That would be none of your business. I'm sorry. It's between Max and me. If he wants to tell you fine but you're not getting the reason out of me." She left the backroom, went to the front, poured herself a coke than went back upstairs.

Maria immediately followed, not only did she want to know what happened but she wanted to catch up with her friend. They'd been gone for two months; there was a lot the two friends needed to fill the other in on.

Isabel whirled toward Alex. "Can you believe that? She obviously breaks my brother's heart and than says it's none of my business?"

"Technically it's not. What happened between them is their business, we should respect that." Oh, that would not get him make out points, if anything that were likely to take them away.

Frustrated with her boyfriend she huffed from the Crashdown. Alex winced, why didn't he tell Iz the truth about why Liz split from Max. He told Liz he'd tell her, so why did it feel like he was betraying his sister's trust by spilling the beans? It could be because it's still fresh for her, or call him crazy but the whole she's his sister thing could be it also.

"Women." Michael smirked. "They're nuts."

Alex nodded. "Exactly."

He wasn't due to arrive in Roswell for another day, the teacher he was supposed to replace wouldn't arrive until tomorrow afternoon. Even now Manticore had a tracking device on him and his car so he would be up to date on any changes.

When he got his assignment from Renfro he couldn't have been happier, not only was he able to get out of the base for a while he didn't have to be paired with 452. She was hot, no doubt about that and if she weren't so hostile he wouldn't mind being her breeding partner but the fact was she's hostile. His treasured manhood thanked the platinum blond bitch for the reprieve.

Unfortunately for one of his unit's male's they got paired with her. 494 relished going to back to the base after he captured 711 and find out how he handled the escapee.

Tossing the burger wrapper from one of the many fast food joints that survived the pulse out of his car window he wiped the grease on his dark green cargo pants and took one of the three files he carried. Because time was of the essence Renfro only gave him an overview of his mission she expected him to read up on the rest.

The teacher he was disposing of was Alec Spencer, English teacher and Physical Education teacher. According to the schedule he would work English in the mornings and PE in the afternoons. The reason for him taking the two jobs wasn't given but the reason those two jobs were open were. The last English teacher was pregnant and on maternity leave for the entire school year, while the PE teacher showed too much interest in the teenage male students he was teaching.

Manticore earlier that day set up a home situation for him when he arrived. Everything he had now had the teacher's name on it, birthday, social security, anything and everything he would need to make people believe he was who he said. It didn't take much to fool people.

He turned on the tracking device and saw that Alec Spencer was right on schedule. As soon as it gave him the location of his first target it went out, damn satellite. While it was out he started his car again and continued on his journey toward Roswell.

From the file he had been reading Alexander Whitman was the second top student in his class. The person in front of him was an Elizabeth Parker. If she weren't in the same grade as Whitman she'd be a good candidate for his sister. Ninety-nine percent of the documents had been erased after the pulse hit even in barely touched Roswell; he tried to find information about Whitman's adoption but couldn't find anything or if any other children had been adopted around that time.

Although Parker didn't seem a likely candidate he'd keep an eye on her. The adoption agency could have simply placed them around the same age and assumed everything else from there. He'd be crossing the border from Washington into Oregon in ten minutes; he'd get to Roswell by tomorrow afternoon no problem.

TBC


	4. Chapter 3

A.N. Sorry no Alec in this chapter, but I promise he will be in the next one.

**Chapter 3**

"Liz?" Maria knocked on her bedroom door, she contemplated not answering or telling her long time friend to leave her alone but she couldn't. Who better to help her deal with this than Maria?

"Come on in." She replied. When she came back upstairs she started to unpack her single suitcase, all she brought were three "outfits" the rest of the space was taken up by weapons. Sector and Border Police hardly if ever searched bags manually; they had too many people passing through hourly to do that. And to do it by computer—in this day and age was wishful thinking.

Maria opened the door, plopped onto the bed and waited. Liz knew what she wanted, what she's waiting for, explanations, stories, secrets only she would be privy too. It always became an inner struggle for her to figure out what to tell Maria and what to keep private.

The blond already knew about transgenics, Lydecker, the basics of what she and Alex could do. But she didn't know about all their siblings, didn't know about the murders she's committed, about the lives Alex had saved by stopping her from killing them. Maria knew the least amount of information possible. It was the best thing, she protected Maria by keeping her out of ninety-nine percent of their dangerous lives and Maria was happy because she knew things no one else in their group did.

"What do you want to know about first? Max or Alex and my trip?" Liz finally spoke, might as well give her an option.

"Max first, the other stuff I'm curious about but I can wait." Maria got comfortable as she watched Liz take out the various weapons placing them behind the wall where she kept her weapons safe.

The brunette shrugged. "We broke up." That wasn't nearly enough information to satisfy the curiosity of the quiet gossiper. Maria was one of those gossip people, that admittedly irritated her to a certain extent, but she's not an obvious one. Not like Pam Troy, instead she's subtle when she dropped a name or tidbit. Could be why she got all the best gossip first.

"And? You two technically were broken up. How'd you become more broken? Last Max told me he was jonzing to get back with you."

"I came up here to tell him we'd never be together again. While he wanted to get back together. Unfortunately he and I don't—we don't gel. He's an alien; I'm a transgenic. What happens the next time he's captured, or if I have to go save a sister or brother?" Her friend thought she had one more brother, Zack, and a sister, Maxie, but no more than that.

"This might be stupid bringing it up but why not tell Max about your past? Tell him who you are, who Alex is, you accepted the fact that Max is an alien after he told you." She pointed out.

Liz closed her eyes; Maria and even Alex to a degree had been hounding her to tell the others about their specialties. Alex wanted Isabel to know so she wouldn't hate him if he suddenly disappeared and didn't come back. While Maria thought if Max and the others trusted them with their secret it'd only be fair to share their secret.

She on the other hand hated the ithought/i of telling them let alone actually doing it. One secret revealed didn't mean they got a small peek into who she was. What good would it do anyway? Would they really sneak into a heavily guarded base to rescue her or Alex? Liz didn't see that happening.

"I'm not telling them Maria. And they didn't tell us, I was shot and Max opened the door to be questioned." The soft click of her weapons safe closing added an extra finality to her statement.

She heard footsteps on the stairs. The conversation stopped with a single raise of her hand. Ears perked up evaluating the almost silent fall of shoes on the hardwood floor. Immediately she recognized the rhythm, Alex was coming up the stairs. She listened closer; the others were leaving the Crashdown, some she assumed to follow Max, others who knew where.

"Hope you know I gave up quality make out points to protect your reason for breaking his heart." He announced his presence. "Isabel is quite likely to never let my tongue in the vicinity of anything that is on her body." He enjoyed the disgusted expressions on their faces. They hated hearing about intimate details going on in his love life. Revenge for all the times he had to hear about the way so-and-so kissed.

"Why didn't you tell her? You said you would?" Guilt stabbed at her, she hated when Alex protected her like that. He's not supposed to protect her, she's the older sister, it's her job to protect him, not the other way around.

He shrugged. "You had a reason for not telling her, figured I'd respect that. Family is more important than a girl I'm currently seeing."

"You're more than seeing her, Isabel is the only girl you've dated for more than a week." Liz reminded him.

His sister's right. Longest relationship he had was a week and that was simply because of fantastic sex. That week they hadn't left her motel room, plus she was an older woman. That week could have gotten him tons of reputation points at school—if anybody knew who he really was—and if he were the type to blab about sexual encounters.

"Ok she's more important to me than any other woman I've been with." Alex admitted to them. "Bottom line though, family is more important."

"Besides it's not like Max won't tell Isabel when she gets him to crack." She pushed her now empty suitcase under the bed. "Anyway wouldn't she hate me less if she knew that I broke up with him now when I realize I don't love him as opposed to years down the line? By then we'd probably have a life, be far more connected, maybe have kids."

"Doubtful, you broke up with her brother—she's going to hate you regardless. If she broke up with me for that reason would that make you less likely to want to kill her?" He questioned. Might as well put it into context for her. Eyes sank to the floor, nope it wouldn't.

"For someone who's told us that she doesn't love the man from outer space you sure have thought about a future with him."

Liz leaned against her bedroom window and thought about what Maria said, of course she thought about a future with Max. That's what happened when you loved someone. As laughable a notion as that was she believed it at the time. Lydecker would be so disappointed in her.

Transgenics don't fall in love, they squash it, leave it bruised and broken beneath their combat boots. Heaven forbid if they dared to test the heart in a love challenge. As a young child she heard stories of a transgenic teen falling in love with a scientist at Manticore. Oh Deck tried to keep it quiet but it managed to reach their ears. Being the caring, loving, and heartwarming man he was he killed them.

"I thought about it yes but it doesn't mean anything." Sighing she picked up her dusty leather jacket. I'm going to go, I'll be back later tonight." She slipped out the window, climbed over the wall, and jumped when she reached the middle of the ladder. Next stop—the desert.

TBC


	5. Chapter 4

A.N. So no one gets confused I sometimes refer to Liz as Jondy.

**Chapter 4**

Alex watched as she hurried from the room, instinct always won out. When she was pressured she took off, when she was scared she took off, when she broke a nail she took off—okay that last one was an exaggeration but bottom line, Jondy took off. So far she'd always come back, but there'd be a point when she wouldn't. Her favorite place to go was the top of the rock formation out in the desert. Liz went to one of the three tallest rocks and did whatever she did up there. Even he wasn't privy to that secret.

"Why does she do that?" Maria asked. "I hate it when she does that, I can never get the final word." Sitting up she crossed her legs, "So what happened in Seattle?"

He didn't take his gaze from the window, would this be the time Jondy didn't come back? "Umm, Maxie was killed and Zack captured, Liz wanted to go in after them but I stopped her." Did she hate him for keeping her from saving their two siblings? Thankfully Syl and Krit made it through the mission fine but that didn't cease the hurt of losing two others.

Horror choked in Maria's throat. "Oh God Alex." She got off the bed and held her shaking friend. "I'm so sorry." The soft stroking hand comforted Alex. "Do you want to talk about it? I make a great listener."

He shook his head, he couldn't talk about it, the images were still fresh in his mind. Plus he wasn't keen on lying to Maria. If he told the events than he'd have to mention Syl and Krit, his other brother and sister. Although not blood they're still family. Than he'd have to tell her about the rest of his eight brothers and sisters. Maria would be hurt and Liz would be made at him for telling her.

Reluctantly he moved out of her arms. "I'll be ok. Lydecker—he umm actually tried to help us up there. He didn't want anyone messing with his kids. It was strangely paternal." He chuckled painfully.

"Paternal my ass, he just didn't want anyone to get their hands on you and make you something that he didn't want. He didn't want someone else taking credit for you four." Maria argued.

"Preachin' to the choir here Maria. He's not any kind of a father figure but for the first ten years our lives he was it. The one we looked to for orders." There was so much that Maria didn't know, out of the entire puzzle that was there lives she knew a piece and the four thousand nine hundred ninety-nine pieces were still in the box.

She didn't even know how old they really were. The adoption agency got it wrong, made their ages to be seven but in actuality he was nine, Liz was ten. Jondy the youngest of the eldest four, and he the youngest of the middle four kids had the same base DNA, they had the same parents. Manticore wanted to see how two biological siblings would act. They got a lot of surprises those first ten years.

Alex saw the clock. "Crap, I gotta go. My parents are going to be worried about me. Wanna come? Mom's making one of her famous dishes."

"Oo, you mean the chicken with mozzarella and tomato sauce?" Maria grinned, there's a reason why it's famous, it's fantastic.

"Yep and my favorite spud's." Mom made him mashed potatoes and added cream cheese, sour cream, some various herbs and spices, and paprika sprinkled on the top. Didn't sound too appetizing but your mind changed once it hit the tongue.

"I'm so there." She locked Liz's bedroom window and followed Alex out.

_Rock Formation; 6:45 p.m._

She'd been out there for almost three hours. When she came out there she lost all track of time. Nothing penetrated her calmed mind. Dust flew around on the desert floor as if searching for someone to play with.

In forty-eight hours she'd be twenty-one years old. But than why on her adoption papers did it say she's seventeen and would be until July of next year? The adoption agency got it wrong, way wrong. Alex suggested that they not correct them and keep quiet about their actual ages, it would all work into his plan of blending in.

When her entire unit was formed Lydecker split them up into three small groups; they were still a whole unit of twelve but also a smaller unit of fours, the eldest, middles, and youngest. Oddly enough she didn't remember much of their lives in Manticore…she knew she had been there, she remembered her siblings but not most of the happy memories; they're in there she just couldn't get to them. She remembered training—no, that wasn't entirely true. She didn't remember one special kind of training, she knew what it was, what she had to have done while in there but what actually happened she couldn't remember.

She and her three older brothers and sister, Zack who was fourteen, Tinga who was twelve, Zane who was eleven, and than her at ten were the guinea pigs for the special training. Liz shivered at the memory, thankfully from what little she recalled she got the least of it, Zack and Tinga got the most that training.

Manticore had been testing that training with them and once completed Lydecker would make the decision if any of his other kids would partake in those exercises. It was no secret that 'Deck hated the program, when he'd check up on her and the others he'd apologize for not being able to protect them.

Because they were designed to excel at everything the excelled at their special training too. She vaguely recalled them bringing in two male Commanding Officers and two female scientists of the base as their assignments. Fortunately that was all she could recall, over the years the memories of acts forced upon them hid behind a wall that she couldn't penetrate. But she did remember one thing with blinding clarity; the smell of the one Tinga was assigned to. A spicy aftershave and an undercurrent of blood.

To this day she couldn't stand those smells combined or separate. Probably why her main method of killing was snapping necks. No blood that way. She'd never smelled those two together since and had no desire too. After the training sessions though, Alex would crawl from his cot, sneak into hers and hold her while she cried. Outside that moment she couldn't and wouldn't cry but when it was the two of them she allowed her walls to crumble. But in the light of day the walls would be up, ready to receive the beating of emotions till night fell again.

Despite everything, no matter how screwed up Manticore was—being in there made life easier. Sure there were missions, training, assigned eating times, assigned everything but she knew her purpose. Aliens weren't threatening to take over the world…they still weren't now but with the Royals here it was only a matter of time.

Michael, Max, Isabel, and Tess were the Royal Four of some distance planet. Blew her mind when she heard it, gave her an out, now if she wasn't at a group meeting she could say it was awkward to be around Max. She'd be saving them both unwanted heartache. It beat telling the group that her Dad had sent her on an errand, there were only so many errands before people began to question.

Back in Manticore none of the alien stuff was brought into their reality. Who knows it might have been at some point but at that moment it was simply transgenics. Her cell phone vibrated against her hip, hard to believe that the phone still worked with all the abuse it had to put up with. "Hello?"

"Ms. Parker, this is Congress Woman Whittaker would you be available to come in for an interview tomorrow afternoon." She'd completely forgotten about the application, once Zack came to get her and Alex the life she built there locked itself away in a corner of her mind.

"I'd definitely be available, what time?" Only finding it a little odd that the Congress Woman was calling her personally. The secretary could be out or fired.

"How about after lunch, say around 1:30?"

"Perfect, I'll be there. Thank you very much." They said their good-byes and hung up. Staring up at the sinking sun Liz stood up from her perch on the rocks. Mom and Dad should be home by now, she better go before they sent a search party.

_Highway; 7:15 p.m._

In another hour he'd be crossing through Sector 8 of Oregon and passing into Sector 9. The route he went was fairly deserted. Only the occasional small towns down a dirt road. He heard from an X5 that had a mission in Portland that the city was alive, clubs, hotels, and underground fighting. If he had the time he'd have checked it out but he had a schedule to keep.

Alec, he decided two hours again to start calling himself by the teacher's name, wondered if this Alex Whitman was an X5. Renfro never saw his barcode and according to his high school records he's only seventeen. She only assumed it was 711, she knew the culprit was a transgenic but which one she wasn't certain. X5-711 should be turning twenty this year. Didn't mean much though, the adoption agency could have screwed up.

For all he knew Renfro was sending him on a wild goose chase. If nothing else maybe he'd hook up with one of the chicks at the high school. Although it would be difficult to pick just one—why limit himself? Any girl that wanted an up close and personal study session would get their wish. There was plenty of him to go around.

TBC


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

_Whitman Household; 8:30 p.m._

After dinner Maria went home and he locked himself up in his room. He had to call Isabel, smooth things over so she'd talk to him tomorrow. Alex understood why she was pissed, but that didn't mean he'd sit back and let her stew in her anger. No, he'd charm, joke, and grovel his way back into her good graces.

It amazed him that he hadn't tried to sleep with her yet. Maybe 'tried' was the wrong word, he'd certainly tried, he wouldn't be a male of any species if he didn't shoot for it. But he refused to push her; Isabel was too special to be one of his "normal" encounters.

Being a transgenic male came with its own baggage, where Liz went into heat and wanted to bang the nearest alpha male she found, he just wanted to screw. Okay, that sounded remarkably crass but it's the truth. He's programmed, for lack of a better word, to plant his seed into available fertile women. The exception being Liz, even if he wanted to he couldn't. Physically impossible, he wouldn't be able to perform. Manticore at least got that right.

Liz was the only female he was safe around, which helped when they locked themselves in a room together to ride out the storm. However sometimes the heat couldn't be caught in time and nothing mattered except mating. Neither he nor Liz were virgins, contrary to popular belief. She never said anything to him but she smelled different sometimes like there were other men's scent on her.

Their private lives remained that, private. They were kept quiet because of the partners they chose. None went to their high school or had any connections to their lives. Bed partners might come to the Crashdown once or twice but that was the extent of it.

Steeling his nerves Alex picked up the phone, time to be read the riot act. He couldn't help shaking his head at how ridiculous he felt. He'd been trained to handle the hairiest of situations and he couldn't even keep his heart from racing when calling Isabel.

Two rings passed before she finally picked up. "I don't really feel like talking to you." Ice froze the line between them. Max must not have told her yet. Definitely a bad time to call.

"I know that. But you've gotta look at this whole thing from my perspective. She's like my sister, she told me about the situation in confidence and I can't break that. If Max told you a secret would you go and shout it from the rooftops?" Alex asked.

"Of course not, but if you told me it wouldn't be from the rooftops it'd be to me and me alone." Isabel argued.

This would get them no where; he'd have to dig into the dreaded secret arsenal. No man ever wanted to admit use of this technique but sometimes it had to be done. "I'll make a compromise. How bout I tell you what happened but I keep the reasons to myself?"

There was a pause at the other end while she thought it over. "How come you can't tell me why?"

Okay, so she's going to be that way today. "Liz has her reasons for what she did. She told me but it'd feel like betrayal if I told anybody…even you." He hoped she'd understand. Thankfully a sigh came from her, did that mean she gave in?

"All right. I'll just have to squeeze that part outta Max." She let him off the hook.

"That's my girl." Even he, who'd been trained by the best to withstand interrogation came close to cracking, Max didn't stand a chance against her.

Alex quickly told her that Liz broke up with Max for good. There's no chance she'd ever go back to him and while to some extent that made Iz happy it also ticked her off. Mainly on her brother's behalf than for any other reason. She felt that Max should be the one to break it off, Liz should have stayed till Max was done with her. While he believed the opposite, Liz finished with Max and took care of it.

No matter what, they'd take the siblings side, didn't care who was right or wrong or if one had more right to dump the other. He and Isabel would forever be divided on that issue. "Let's put the Max/Liz soap opera on the back burner. Would you like to accompany me to the movies tomorrow?"

"Depends, what's showing?" She teased coyly. He knew she was kidding, she'd watch paint dry as long as she could spend quality time with him.

He went through the movie selections on his computer, they decided on the Fantastic Four. With the movie industry in a major slump since the pulse, only a few new movies were made a year. The movie theatres were forced to show films from the pre-pulse era. Which wasn't all bad they got to view classics that were around before he was made.

"So I'll see your radiant smile tomorrow?" He charmed. Never hurt to get another compliment into the conversation.

"You certainly will." He could hear the grin in her tone, he loved seeing her smile. Isabel Evans' could light up a city when that special curve of her lips appeared.

"Who's my beautiful sunshine?" That'd get her to laugh, a sound he'd kill for.

And there it was, the 'you're so silly but don't stop' giggle. It's music to his ears. "You're such a goofball." He could almost see her with a finger close to her mouth willing the smile off her face but it wasn't working.

"See you tomorrow." He whispered.

"Bye." Isabel spoke breathlessly before hanging up.

Alex stayed up for another three hours working on hacking into government files. He had to try and find Zack and Maxie. Zack needed to be rescued and hopefully they'd be able to find Maxie's body to bury her properly and not desecrate it like Manticore must have.

It'd take much longer than he hoped to find Manticore and it's files. There wasn't exactly a big banner saying 'This way to Manticore website'. Didn't quite work like that but thankfully he had tons of computer skills all thanks to his transgenic prison.

TBC


	7. Chapter 6

A.N. A lot of Alec in this, sorry but no Liz/Alec interaction yet it will be in the next few chapters though. I've been writing and rewriting this part for a couple weeks and finally I'm satisfied with it. Hope you all enjoy it.

**Chapter 6**

_Next Morning; 3:40 a.m._

Staked out in the hotel parking lot behind some tall bushes, next to Alec Spencer's car, 494 crouched scanning the property and inside the small room. Late last night Spencer decided he didn't want to stop at a motel instead he hurried straight to Roswell. Forced him to hurry and get there before the teacher did. He barely made it.

Shouldn't a non-transgenic be tired by now, this Spencer guy still hadn't gone to bed. He'd been milling around for an hour fiddling with things. 494 hoped to wait till the teacher slept before he snuck in to kill him. The man who'd never done anything wrong deserved to go peacefully but if he didn't conk out soon 494 would be forced to deal with it now.

Couldn't allow him to contact anybody in this town. It'd be difficult to impersonate a man if they'd already met the actual man. For a brief moment he allowed himself to think about the man's family and who'd miss him after he died.

He only got as far as thinking about his six other brother and sisters before he shut his mind off to that kind of thinking. Those little insights into his life would only make killing the man that much harder. It could still be done but than pictures of his family would flash in his head, images he didn't want or need.

To do this mission well he had to know everything about his life. Undercover Operatives studied Spencer for three weeks writing down his habits, his movements, any little thing that may be relevant, even his tone of voice for when he called siblings. Nothing was left out.

Most of the mannerisms he could ignore, no one in the city knew him. Manticore checked he was completely alone, no friends or family to speak of in the alien capital of the world. Spencer grabbed a set of car keys off the standard table in every hotel room. Shit, he was going out, he had to do this now.

Silently 494 went to the door, hid in the shadows and waited. It didn't take long for Spencer to open the door, the second his back was turned 494 went for it. Pushing the teacher inside he made the kill. There was no 'I'm sorry' sentiments just a quick snap of the neck and a soft thud when the body fell.

Alec turned toward the front and shut it all the while searching the surrounding area making damn sure no one saw his murder. Time to get this cleaned up and cleared out.

_5:10_ _a.m._

Impatiently he waited against the car, where the hell were they? He called them ten minutes ago, informed them of his whereabouts, what he had for them and how long it would take him to get to the destination and what happened they're late. Typical.

A car engine sped a mile down the road. Vehicle going that fast could be one of three things, first the people he had to meet, two a cop chasing a perpetrator, or a teenage boy running from an angry father who caught him with his hand down his daughter's pants. As the headlights came closer he was able to make out two men in suits; yep they were his guests.

If he had waited a minute longer he would have written a strongly worded letter to his superiors-superiors. Yea right and it would have gone something like this 'This is X5-494, I'm apart of the experiments that you deny any knowledge of. And my superiors who you say you don't know and who have no affiliation with your organization sent out men on an assignment you've never authorized or heard of, were five minutes late to a scheduled meeting time. It's completely unprofessional and they are in need of a stern talking to. Thanks'.

That wouldn't go over to well. The car slowed to a stop and the two late jerk-wads left the cool air-conditioned car. "Little late aren't ya boys?" He couldn't help if his irritation leaked out all over the place. That was a lie, he could help it but he didn't really want to, he was going to show his frustration at them.

"You didn't exactly give us a whole lot of time to get out here." The blond haired lackey spoke in a deep Australian accent. Any question about why this guy got pick up duty was answered right then, if he couldn't disguise his homeland from on a simple stop and grab he wouldn't get out in the field.

"You're supposed to be on your toes. Ready to jump into action at any time…or in this case taking my trash back to Manticore." He pushed the teacher's glasses a little higher on his nose flipping the lackey off. "He's in the trunk, clothes, information, everything he brought with him minus a few things I'll need is in there, and here are his car keys."

Alec tossed the keys to the second pick-up guy, an Asian man who he remembered seeing around the base on occasion. He quickly moved through his inner file cabinet, he was an Agent, injured on duty and sent in for light duty till he full recovered.

"Now if you'll excuse me gentlemen, I have some preparing to do." With a wave he ran toward the house Manticore set up for him while he was there. In a week school would start, he couldn't wait that long for a 711 sighting. He'd have to go on a tour, find out the in's and out's of the town, he'd find 711 before school started.

_6:30 a.m._

He stared up at the UFO crash landing through the building in front of him. With it's blinking lights and neon strobes he came to the conclusion that this was a themed restaurant. Where on Earth would he get that idea? Who in their right mind would own this place? Alec adjusted the glasses, now with simple clear non-prescription lenses, on his nose.

Show time, he pulled open the door, a cheery bell greeted him and let a waitress know there was a customer. "Good morning sir. Table or booth?" A happy smiling girl of no more than fifteen waited for his answer.

"Booth please." His presence didn't cause anyone to raise an eyebrow or quirk a questioning gaze his way. Being a tourist trap the populace must see people coming in and out of their town on an hourly basis. His arrival would just be one of the many in their minds.

Once he's seated he looked over the menu, what was a Blood of Alien Smoothie? Alec decided to stick with the simple items on the menu, eggs, toast, and a cup of fake coffee. He wasn't hopeful enough to believe that this place had honest to god coffee.

A few short moments later the same girl that seated him came to take his order. He ordered and waited for her to leave before he pulled out his cell phone. Renfro called while he made his way here, he'd hold off on calling her. No reason to call her out in the open.

Instead he listened to the message. According to reports Alex Whitman hung out here regularly. Here and the school would be the most likely areas he'd be seen. The cheery automated woman told him he had one new message, what the number was, and when it came in.

'_Alec Spencer, the appointment we set up for tomorrow has been cancelled. We will call to reschedule at a later date.' _Click.

That was short and sweet. Wonder what happened to make Renfro cancel a meeting. She wanted all the information on Alex Whitman as soon as possible, no waiting. The woman who took over Lydecker's position wasn't even the one supposed to meet with him.

Ten minutes later his breakfast came, he finished eating twenty minutes after he received his meal and was out the door by 7:10.

_7:15 a.m._

The Crashdown door dinged with the next customer entering the busy restaurant. In a month the place would mostly be filled with locals but now it was mostly tourists. Alex could hardly wait for the town to be quiet again or as quiet as an alien invested town could be.

Maria spotting her friend sit up at the bar greeted him with a genuine smile, took his order, put it with Jose and sat next to him for a few minutes. "Thank your Mom again for dinner last night. The buttons on my jeans aren't very thankful but my stomach wants to bow to her."

"I'll tell her." In a couple hours he was to pick Isabel up. After fiddling around with his computer for four hours he decided it was time to pack up the 'Look For Manticore' mission and go to sleep. It wouldn't do his relationship with his girlfriend any good if he fell asleep while at the movies with her.

TBC


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_7:40 a.m._

She'd been laying on her bed for the past three hours, not getting up, and trying not to think. No matter how hard she worked at blanking her thoughts she couldn't. Unlike some of her other siblings she needed more sleep and had yet to get much of any, lack of sleep always made blanking out harder.

Images of Maxie, moments both in Manticore and that short day a month ago, flashed in her head. She failed her younger sister. Max was six months younger than Alex and the eldest in the youngest group of four from their unit.

Maxie's eyes were always so expressive, she could never get the cold hard steel stare down, there was always some emotion that peeked through. It was her greatest weakness and greatest strength. A double-edged sword that warmed her siblings but irritated her superiors.

Tired of staring at the ceiling she turned over and curled up in the fetal position. Her sweet little sister--if Alex hadn't stopped her she'd have raced after the younger version of Maxie and killed the little bitch, grabbed Max's body, grabbed Alex and high-tailed it out of there. All that depended on if she would had been captured or not, but she wouldn't have left Maxie behind.

In a way she was both angry and thankful to Alex for keeping her back. If she had killed Maxie's clone then she'd be haunted by that face for years to come. The men and women she'd…disposed of already weigh heavy on her mind, she could only imagine how the spitting image of her younger…

"So how bout you tell me what the hell is going on?" A hard defensive voice broke through mazes of concerns and worries like sharp steel.

Quickly, but not inhumanly quick, she sat up on her bed. "What makes you think something is going on Michael?" Was he being delusional today? Michael stood there in black baggy jeans and his arms crossed over a black buttoned down shirt.

He stared at Liz; she looked at him with the perfect amount of confusion on her face. She wore a cream colored top that hugged the subtle curves of her waist that only added to her act of innocence and dark blue jeans that seemed custom made to tempt any man straight or gay. "Don't play with me."

"Not playing. Don't know what you're talking about." She crossed her legs waiting for him to explain further. Maybe he hadn't been laid in awhile, that could make anyone cranky.

"You were at the rock formations last night." He confronted her. Liz didn't bat an eyelash, he never thought she'd be such a great actress.

"Again not really seeing how this is such a big deal to you. Lots of people go out there to think for a little while. I just broke up with Max for good, wanted to make sure I made the right decision." Hopefully he'd believe that and leave her alone.

"Yea right. You don't go through with anything unless you know for sure that is what you want. We may not hang out that often but I know that much about you."

She stretched her legs out wiggling her toes, hmm, she never realized how petite her feet were. "Listen, what business is it of yours what I was doing there. You don't own the rock formation." Michael's species probably saw the funky looking form and picked it for it's odd shape. If they lost the directions all they had to do was look for that shape and they'd be in business.

"Tell me what is going on." He knew he sounded like a broken record but he had to make sure Liz didn't pose a threat to his family.

"'Fraid you're going to have to be a little more specific." She shrugged her shoulders. "Lots of things are going on." Liz ticked off the 'events' with her fingers. "I'm relaxing, Alex is taking Isabel to the movies today, Hollywood's coming out with _Terminator 5_ tomorrow. Am I getting warm?" A new Terminator she couldn't believe it, she'd have loved to see the deal Arnold Schwarzenegger made to be cloned for future action movies.

"How about how you got onto the formation?" Still she didn't flinch.

Shit, if Michael saw how she got up there he knew she wasn't normal, not in the human sense. No wonder he sought her out. She couldn't show her fear, she couldn't show her worry, she had to stay calm, no good ever came from panicking. "Climbed, like everyone else has to."

"Yea you climbed. You climbed that formation like it was a speed bump." He hated to use this phrase but in that case it'd fit. "What are you?"

Anger flared in her eyes. "Leave Michael." She rose from her spot on the bed and leaned against her closed window. Being close to the outside gave a bit of calmness that would be put to good use here.

"No, not until you tell me." He stepped further into the room, his Doc's sound heavy on her off white carpet.

"It is none of your business." Pain lanced her heart; this could be the end of any contact she had with the others. Should she leave? If she left what would happen to Alex? Her sweet innocent brother, she couldn't leave him. He'd never killed anybody before, she always took care of that, if she left he'd be on him and she couldn't do that to him. She had to stay, ride this out, and protect Alex.

"Try me." He wasn't giving up.

"What difference would it make if I told you? All you'd do is run to Max, Isabel, and Tess to tell them what was up with Liz." That was not going to happen, not if she could help it.

"No, I'd help you and do my best to protect you." Liz was apart of his family. He'd never admit it out loud but since she's known about aliens she had proven her loyalty. Now it's time he returned the favor.

For a few moments she didn't speak, couldn't really anyway with all this shock blocking her voice. "You don't want to get involved with this. All it will do is bring trouble to you and everyone else that we know. Walk away from this, please."

Michael grunted in frustration. "I am not leaving you to deal with this by yourself. If you don't tell me I'll figure things out on my own."

Liz snorted in agreement, "Can't argue with that." Could she bring Michael into the fold? Didn't look like she had much choice but she could knock him out and run…she hated that instant reaction to people finding out.

"Let me help you."

Michael must really be worried if he offered help. That wasn't fair, he helped a lot, but why did he have to be where she was last night. She was mad at herself for not sensing him, Lydecker would be disappointed. "If I tell you…and that's a big if. You can't breathe a word of this to anybody. When I say anybody I mean anybody, including your family. They have no business knowing what I am and what I do. Understood."

He was silent for a long while, so long that she thought he'd say he didn't agree to it. But Michael surprised her. "Deal."

TBC


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Excuse me? Did you say 'deal'?" Liz didn't expect him to go along with her conditions. "You heard the part where I mentioned not telling the others?"

"Yes, and I said 'deal'."

Let's put it to the test. "Even if I'm handling a life or death situation? You'll still keep your mouth shut around the others?" No way in hell he'd agree to that…

Michael shrugged. "Not a problem." He spoke with such certainty and conviction that she actually believed him. She couldn't have been so wrong about him, right? He was the type of guy that most of the time could keep the others in the dark if need be but for a life and death scenario he would break from orders.

It took a few more minutes of staring at him before she made decision. The whole time he didn't avert his gaze from hers. As if he knew she'd back out if he turned away first. "Ok. Have a seat."

Liz waited for him to get comfortable before she began her story. "Have you ever heard of Manticore?"

"No, what is it?"

"Where I was made." There she started, now all she had to do was finish. Unfortunately the finish line was so far away it couldn't be seen yet.

"Made?"

"Yep. But unlike you I wasn't made on another planet and sent here. I'm home-grown right here on planet Earth." She smirked. "I'm a Genetically Engineered Soldier, made by the government to be sent out on missions. Various missions but mainly assassinations."

"Holy shit."

"You asked. Can't back out now." She leaned back awaiting his reaction.

"If I do you'll kill me." Michael didn't even have to question it.

Without hesitating Liz confirmed his statement. "Yes I will. But you obviously knew that." She laced her finger together keeping a watchful eye on him. Any sudden movement toward the window or door and he's dropped. It be painful to live with, after all she'd known and was friends with Michael for a year, they'd been through a lot mostly Alien Abyss related, but she has killed to keep her secret…she could do it again.

"Don't stop now, I'm already riveted." He did the opposite of the way her thoughts headed. Instead he leaned back against the chair plopping his feet on the edge of her bed.

"Shoes off the covers."

A thump of the two heavy shoes hitting the ground vibrated the bed a little. "Did Manticore not like having shoes on the bed." He meant it as a joke but it backfired when Liz didn't laugh.

"Manticore didn't let us do a lot of things." She smiled sadly. "It was a military base, as we grew up we were told how to stand, how to eat, how to kill, and most importantly to take orders and follow them precisely." A stray thread from her quilt kept her attention. She hated talking about Manticore; it never failed to remind her what she was made for.

"You keep saying 'we'. How many more like you are there?" Michael wondered.

"Hundreds." Maybe she should start at the beginning it'd be easier. "Scientists, not sure who really came up with the idea, got to thinking 'what if'-what if the military could send top of the line, elite soldiers that were small in numbers into battle and have none of them die. Instead of sending a hundred, they'd send ten, instead of losing some, they'd lose none."

"Good idea." He admitted. Michael could see the value of that, see the logic. It made sense.

"Very good idea…in theory. But now it comes down to how do they accomplish that? This is where they start experimenting." She stared at her audience of one. "They needed these special soldiers to be superhuman, to do everything they hoped for."

"How would they do that?" He was really getting into this.

"How indeed. The scientist mixed human and animal DNA and implanted an embryo inside a human woman. The first series were X1's, they weren't what Manticore was looking for so they were destroyed. It continued till they finally achieved their goal in the X5 series. That's where I fit in."

Michael leaned forward clasping his hands together. "What kind of animals did they use?"

"Various types. Shark, dog, chameleon, lizard, bat, but most of the X5 received cat DNA with a bit of other animals. The human DNA we have are all famous people in some fashion. Whether it be military strategists, geniuses, a person known for incredible beauty."

"So let me guess you got some Einstein in you?"

"Not that I know of, although Manticore isn't known for filling the puppets in on much. We were expected to be the best, smartest, excel at everything and fail at nothing. Lot of pressure to put on kids no older than fourteen. Adults hardly expect that from themselves."

"Are there any other X5's around here?"

The moment of truth, would she tell him about Alex? If she did then if something happened to her he could go to Alex for help it might be a good idea to tell Michael. "No, or at least I don't think so." Really she meant to tell him, in fact when she opened her mouth she intended to speak the truth. Could it be that she got so comfortable lying she did it without thinking? That was a thought she didn't like.

The tall broody alien nodded believing her, after all she was telling him about whom she really was. Why would she lie about that now? "Okay, what else?"

TBC


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_Mall; 12:30 p.m._

"Alex look!" Isabel's cheerful exclamation turned his attention away from scanning the crowd of potential threats, a habit he couldn't break. A perfectly manicured and colored nail pointed to the happily barking puppies in the window.

He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up on end. Was it manly to hiss? He hoped so because he could feel the displeasure at the back of his throat. Enough of him was aware, thank the Blue Lady, that Isabel might question him on his strong non-human reaction to the innocent creatures bouncing back and forth.

"Lets go inside and pet them." Recalling a childhood tradition Isabel told him about he agreed. Since she had been adopted by the Evans' her mother would take her to the pet store every time they stopped by the mall.

Dander, fur, allergies floating through the air-Manticore did a few things right, making them immune to various types of germ war-fare all the way to the common allergy. Upon entering the pet shop Isabel immediately dragged him over to the leaping, harmless, puppies.

"I'll just hang by the cats if you don't mind." Alex swallowed hard, was it irrational to be scared by a puppy? Maybe. But the feline prowling inside him refused to calm.

She looped her arm through his keeping him next to her. "Does your fear of dogs extend to puppies too?" She hadn't realized his fear ran that deep.

"A little yea." Admitting it aloud confirmed his wimp status. Why couldn't he tell his inner cat to settle the hell down and pet the puppies?

"Would it help if I were right there with you? I could hold the dog and you could pet it?"

Alex had told Isabel before he left for the summer, that dogs weren't his favorite animal. When she inquired as to why he told her that he'd been bitten by one when he was a kid. The fear had been with him ever since. It wasn't entirely a lie. Really it hadn't been, a dog had bitten him, when he was six but it didn't cause mind-numbing fear.

"Might help." After all if she held the baby dog she'd be holding it to her chest. And there may be a chance to cop a field with a completely different set of puppies. Who was he to pass up a golden opportunity?

Sure enough she held the little critter up against her soft pillowy breasts, cuddling and talking sweet to it. What he wouldn't give to be that puppy at that instant. It took a moment for him to leave his fantasy and realize she was talking to him.

"It's okay Alex." She whispered not unaware of his predicament. There was a reason she wore a low-cut top today.

"Promise it won't bite?" Who cared if the puppy bit him? He'd pet a pit-bull if it were that close to her chest. There were some things that were worth a mangled arm.

"I can guarantee it." Isabel ruffled the soft coat, its tail wagged against her ribs and arm. The puppy stretched to reach Alex, begging to be petted and cuddled. "Oh look Alex he likes you."

Gently he scratched the area behind its ear. Okay he was kind of good. Even his inner feline purred in his chest as if soothing the smaller creature. While massaging the puppy's head his finger "accidentally" strayed brushing against the creamy swell of her breast. All right maybe it was a little on purpose but Isabel certainly didn't mind. She even inched closer to his wandering finger.

For a moment the puppy and the sounds of the pet shop drifted into the back ground till they were the only ones left in the world. He couldn't stop looking at her, admiring her. There's so much more to her than her physical beauty, which she had plenty of.

He'd seen her handle fundraisers, made sure everyone gave at least some money. Isabel's power of persuasion was legendary. If she wanted it bad enough she could talk a spoiled child into handing over their candy with a smile.

She'd greet new students warmly, charming and genuine, to the teachers and school faculty from the principal to the janitors. Everyone called her the Ice Princess; even he did before he became a part of the Alien Abyss. But nobody except certain people noticed the sweet warmth that showed in her every action.

"There are children present you two perverts." Maria teased. She saw the couple through the pet store window groping in full view of mall-goers.

Isabel tensed slightly, enough to convey to Maria that the tall blonde still was uncomfortable around her. There were times when Maria got the sense that Isabel only tolerated her to appease Alex. She knew that assessment wasn't completely accurate, Alex had been gone that summer and she had been friendly.

"Sorry didn't mean to intrude or anything but you two were getting awfully close to nature channel material. And I don't think the parents want their kids to get that kind of education." Isabel smirked and loosened her tight muscles. She'd probably read too much into Iz's body language. She was sure it came as a shock that she overreacted.

"Thanks." She put the now whimpering puppy back in the pen. "Alex and I were going to have lunch would you like to join us?"

"Nah, gotta drop some packages off for Mom." She shrugged.

"Thought you weren't working today? Weren't Liz and you hanging out doing whatever two girls by themselves do?"

"Yea but she called and cancelled. Said something came up about the interview scheduled today with Congress Woman Whittaker. But she didn't stay on the line long enough for me to question her on it." With a wave and an air kiss to Alex she's off to deliver the last of the merchandise.

While the couple continued their walk through of the pet shop Isabel's phone rang. It was her mother requesting her presence back home. Alex waited during the small argument between mother and daughter. A few moments later Iz came back and apologized saying she had to go home, Diane was waiting for her in the parking lot.

A hug and a peck later she was gone hurrying to the parking lot. Well, that date certainly took a turn toward frustrated. It had been the first time in a long time they were alone together and what happened, her mom called her home.

He left the pet shop making a sharp right toward the music store; maybe he could find a couple CD's to add a couple more songs to the band. So far they knew one song well, if they wanted to play for the school they'd need some more tunes in their arsenal. He never made it to the record store though because a body slammed right into him.

Alex caught the distracted woman before she fell into a heap at his feet. "Tess?"

"Oh hey Alex." She smiled politely. "I'm sorry for bumping into you but I'm in a hurry." Tess left his grip and walked backward. "Later."

"Hmm." Alex shrugged his shoulders watching as she ran toward a computer store. What could be she be in such a hurry for? Deciding it wasn't his business he left the mall to go home. Maybe he'd have time to look for more Manticore information.

TBC


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_Mason's Bar; 9:00 p.m._

"Id." The deep accented command resonated through the night air. It was a common occurrence; new comers stood in line like morons. Mason, the manager of the bar hated out of towners so he had Stavros a 250lb Greek man without an ounce of fat on him terrify his potential customers. The broad linebacker shoulders and chest, steely electric blue eyes, and a snarl that would make the toughest of SOB's shit their pants.

A frightened, whiny-almost female soft reply came from the skinny boy standing in line. "Here you go Sir." The id shook in his hands, holding it out to be checked.

Stavros flicked a small flashlight on taking his time inspecting the identification. "You are not eighteen." He glared at him.

"Y-yes I am." He didn't look at the scary wall in front of him, big mistake. No way would he be getting in now. In all honesty Stavros gave a rats ass about the age of a customer, since the Pulse no one seemed to care. Even the legal drinking age had decreased to sixteen.

Liz ambled up to the front door. "Hey Stav. Still giving shit to the out of towners?"

"Of course. What else can I do to keep from falling asleep? No one in this town tries to start anything. I'm a little insulted." He ignored the kid practically standing in a puddle of his own urine.

"Is Mason around tonight?" She had some business with the manager. Nothing bad but not necessarily legal.

"Working the bar with Shelley." He opened the door for her. "Erin mentioned she had a package for you. She's on stage tonight but should be taking a break shortly."

"Thanks." Liz left the kid still quivering in front of the bouncer. Why should she help him into the bar, she wasn't too fond of tourists either.

After she talked to Mason and got the package from Erin she'd head back home. From her confrontation with Michael that ended on a good note, to being a few minutes late to her interview with Congress Woman Whittaker, followed by a small B & E, only to get home and realize she was out of her "special" pills, to put it bluntly she was fucking exhausted.

Allowing Michael in had gone fairly well, she'd explained a good part of who and what she was, with hardly any lying. New world record. She hadn't told him about Alex though, hadn't revealed a lot of the personal details. Those were none of his business, had no right to know the deeply private stories.

Congress Woman hadn't been happy she was late, Michael asking millions of questions held her up. Thankfully she seemed to have forgotten that fact by the time lunch finished because she offered Liz the position as her secretary. After a few pieces of paper work she had to fill out Whittaker welcomed her to the team.

Then the breaking and entering that-let's just say it was interesting. Not the B&E itself, that's a common occurrence but what she stole for Mason-she searched the bar. There the man stood pouring shots and filling beer mugs.

He caught a glimpse of her before she appeared in front of him leaning over the bar. With a nod he motioned her to the back room and told Shelley he'd be taking a couple minute break. Once the door closed behind him he wiped his hands over his Bermuda shorts-he loved the tropic type clothes. Bet he thanked the Blue Lady he lived in a climate where could do that and not freeze his nuts off.

"Do you have it?" For a man who had three large bouncers who'd take the wrap for anything he did and a bar full of customers doing illegal transactions in front of him he was really nervous.

Mason didn't quite make "tall" status he was six inches taller than her, not large by any means but make no mistake he's definitely in charge. The way he commanded attention in a room full of druggies, prostitutes, criminals of all kinds, and the occasional "innocent" folks was a skill to be in awe of. Mistaking his laid back fashion sense for weakness, you'd end up flat on your ass.

"Yea." Like she wouldn't get it. Please. "Cash first."

"Let me see first." Did she mention he wasn't stupid either?

She reached into her backpack and pulled out the item, even did a little dance with it in her hands. "Cash."

Immediately wads of hundreds materialize. Five thousand dollars all for the still wrapped box set of the Resident Evil Trilogy. "Beautiful." He handed over the cash and she gave him the set. When the pulse hit a fourth might have been in the works but that fell through like so many other things had. "Have you ever wondered about why they banned these movies?"

"Nope." Short, simple, direct. She had other things to worry about.

"Aren't you curious? They probably don't want us to know what they're really doing in government facilities. Probably banned it because this is a documentary about the direction they're heading in when it comes to genetics." He's also a conspiracy fanatic. Once he got going it was hard to shut him up.

"That's great Mason. Gotta go talk to Erin. Later." Liz patted him on the back and left to find her friend.

Across the room balls on a pool table clack together as they race for an open hole. In seconds a groan of frustration followed, someone either made the shot and their opponent suffered, or the guy missed his shot. A distinct male shout traveled through the crowd. "Anybody else want to challenge me? I'll take you on? How bout you?"

Liz shook her head at the guy trying to find a worthy contender; she'd take him up on it if she weren't so tired. He didn't sound like a regular at the bar, which was note-worthy all by itself. How did a new guy get in? Mason would be severely disappointed.

"Good you're here." A soft, shy voice from beside her distracted Liz from the game. Erin stood in shorts and a blue bikini top with tennis shoes on her feet. She looked like she's headed out, but Stavros mentioned a break, which implied there'd be more hours of working on the clock.

Erin's an exotic dancer; there were only three that work at Mason's, all others work at Gold or The Tank. She had the place packed each and every night she worked-one glance at her figure and you knew part of the reason she was hired. Long shapely legs that were made for being wrapped around a poll or body, slim waist, full rounded breasts, and a cute face framed by dark red hair. If she weren't such a sweet woman she'd hate her.

She marveled at how Erin's regular voice differed greatly from her working voice. The only people she knew who were that good weren't normal humans. When she's working Erin's confident, developed a purr, even a hint of an accent but speaking to the people that truly knew her she had no accent, no sultry purr, and no confidence.

"Course I am. How much?"

"Usual would be fine. Or-a little less if you don't have the money right now." She tucked a stray strand of burgundy hair behind her ear. If Liz didn't know any better she'd be sure Erin was pulling a scam-pretending to be non-threatening. But see she did know better.

"Usuals fine." She pulled out a hundred and fifty dollars. Sounded ridiculously high for calcium pills right? She thought so too but it kept her from having seizures, she could justify spending that much to keep her in constant supply. Alex was lucky, he never had the seizure problem, she didn't know why but she was thankful he would never worry about that.

"You headed home?" Liz nodded toward the door.

"Yea, having Destiny take over for the rest of the night." She pulled her purse up higher on her shoulder.

Guilt ate at Liz for bringing Erin into even a tiny part of her life. But she didn't feel comfortable stealing the pills, if she was caught or the missing pills were noticed Lydecker would be hot on her trail. Erin could get the pills without raising suspicion, she worked part-time at the Roswell Medical Center.

"Thanks for this. See you later?" Her friend and supplier nodded and scurried from the crowded bar.

She put the bottle into her backpack whipped around to leave but ended up smashing into another patron. "Oh Jesus, sorry." Strong arms held her up till she gained balance back.

"It's my fault…completely my fault." That same cocky voice she heard a few moments ago brought her eyes up. Wow, the body and looks went with the alluring rumble. "Let me buy you a drink." Striking green eyes pinned her down.

"Hmm, I don't know, should be getting home." What, was she crazy? A gorgeous man asked her for a drink and she's close to turning him down? Yep it's official she's crazy. Send in the shrinks to figure out what her problems were.

"What's a few more minutes? Come on I could get to know you-you could get to know me?" He left the sentence hanging.

Should she or shouldn't she? Liz glanced toward the door and back to the man. He really was handsome. Tall, at least six foot, rolling green hills for eyes a smirk that she wanted to run her tongue across and did she mention the muscles encased in a T-shirt and leather jacket? "Okay one drink."

"Right this way." He turned her around placing his hand on the small of her back leading her toward the bar. Mason still hadn't returned but Shelley still manned the bar.

"Hey Shell, a rum and coke for me and for my friend…?" Liz turned to him.

The guy stared at her as if in awe… "Just a scotch." Once Shelley left he fixed his gaze completely on her. "You've been here before?"

"A few times-a week." She admitted Mason's had a homey feel…after you'd had a few dozen drinks. But she adored the people who worked there.

"So since I've bumped into you and bought you a drink I think I've earned the right to know your name." Their drinks arrive and the bartender hurried off to help another customer who was quickly reaching his limit.

"Ah, an ulterior motive."

"Of course. Gotta have an 'in' you know?"

"Beth Michaels." Yea, another lie. Like she was going to tell her name to some stranger. Not likely. Not only would that make it incredibly easy to track her down, she never told her adopted name to any of the guys she planned to sleep with. That was one of her rules that she never broke. "And yourself?"

"Alec Spencer."

TBC


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Alec sipped his scotch watching Beth suck the alcoholic drink from a pale green straw. Teasing him with her tongue barely caressing the plastic before wrapping her lips around the ting object. Every once in a while she'd smile at him keeping the straw between her teeth gently flicking the hole with her pink tongue.

He'd seen her the second she strolled into the club, he had been waiting for his billiard partner to hit the ball and caught a glimpse of her face. Dark eyes lit up as she saw people she knew. Long chocolate hair that swished against her lower back, a face that wasn't a stunning beauty but there was no doubt she was pretty.

The soft curve of her hips swayed as she made her way to the bar. A nod passed between her and the bartender and she was off to a back room with him. What the hell was that about? Fire, anger, rage pulsing inside flared to life. Those emotions so foreign to him it made him pause. Catching himself before he stormed over there ripping the door off its hinges to kick the bartender's ass.

He couldn't explain why his heart stopped, why his body suddenly heated up with rage, it made no rational sense. He's jealous, he's possessive-over a woman he'd never met. If he had met her he'd have remembered her. She didn't seem like the kind of woman you'd forget.

Alec just about lost his cue-stick in relief when she came back out clothes still in tact. The bartender followed a short second later clutching what looked to be a box, close to his chest. He made a beeline for another back room while the dark haired beauty searched the place scanning her eyes over every nook and cranny. Able to concentrate on the game at hand again he looked for another challenger as he sunk the eight ball in the side pocket. "Anybody else want to challenge me? I'll take you on."

A few guys held up their hands in surrender not willing to lose more of their precious money. One guy seemed like he'd be willing to take Alec up on his challenge but his buddy to the left whispered to him effectively talking him out of it. Disappointed that no one wanted to take him on he set down the cue-stick and left the table.

He checked his watch, not even 9:30 yet, hmm; he had a couple options he could do. The first being the most responsible and dedicated to the mission which was to leave the bar now, go back to his place and get to bed so he's ready for the 9 o'clock meeting at the school tomorrow.

Another option, one he was leaning toward the most was to stay at the bar, have a couple more drinks, find the dark haired girl, get her number, maybe convince her to get a hotel room and let the evening progress from there. It took him all of a second to decide.

He found her talking to a woman--one he saw on stage in a back room before he was rudely told that his presence wasn't wanted there. The woman's gorgeous, he'd have to blind not to notice but his attention hardly strayed from the brunette.

In a rush the red head scurried away smiling shakily at the dark haired woman before disappearing into the crowd. He's directly behind her getting a healthy dose of roses and baby powder with a twinge of sweat when she turned ramming right into his chest. On reflex he reached out holding her steady and keeping her close.

Then she spoke. "Oh Jesus, sorry." A soft sweet melody reached his ears and he instantly wanted to find out how she sounded when he was caressing her intimately.

"It's my fault…completely my fault." He stared down at her and her eyes lifted to meet his. Deep creamy pools of dark chocolate sucked him in and threatened to bring him to his knees. He could get lost in those eyes. As she assessed him up and down he smirked, she could check him out for as long as she wanted. She swallowed hard and stared back into his eyes. "Let me buy you a drink."

"Hmm, I don't know, should be getting home." No, he couldn't let her leave, his smile lowered a bit but he came back with a cocky smirk that he knew she wouldn't be able to resist. He knew what worked.

"What's a few more minutes? Come on I could get to know you-you could get to know me?" He left the sentence hanging, hoping she'd take him up on his offer.

Alec could see her uncertainty but there was a hint of temptation glisening in her eyes. A small twitch of a smile bowled him over, he couldn't remember having that strong of a reaction to anybody, he wondered what it would be like to have her fully smile at him. Finally she put him out of his misery. "Okay one drink."

"Right this way." He turned her around placing his hand on the small of her back leading her toward the bar, as if she didn't know where the bar would be. She tilted her head and snuck a glance up at him. Her hair fell over her cheek blocking any chance of seeing what she was thinking in that moment.

When they got up to the bar she tucked the stray piece of hair back behind her ear and smiled at the female bartender that was now all alone catering to the various customers. "Hey Shell, a rum and coke for me and for my friend…?" She turned to him. Alec liked a girl who knew what she wanted.

Alec stared at her in awe, maybe she had been here a few times before. "Just a scotch." Once the girl she called, Shell, left he fixed his gaze completely on her. "You've been here before?"

"A few times-a week." She admitted shrugging her shoulders with a bit of guilt.

As she stared at him, trying to get a read on him he realized he hadn't asked her name. A problem easily remedied. "So since I've bumped into you and bought you a drink I think I've earned the right to know your name." Their drinks arrive and the bartender hurried off to help another customer who was quickly reaching his limit, he was shouting that he could take anyone in the bar and who wanted to take bets.

"Ah, an ulterior motive." She chuckled.

"Of course. Gotta have an 'in' you know?" While normally a name wasn't a requirement for him to sleep with a woman he didn't want to call this one by the standard 'honey' or 'babe'. For some reason he wanted to know her name, wanted to know exactly who she was so she wouldn't feel like one of his many conquests.

"Beth Michaels." Hmm, she didn't seem like a Beth, but who was he to judge her nickname? No way did her family name her Beth. "And yourself?"

And he definitely wanted her to know who she was screaming for. "Alec Spencer."

"It's nice to meet you Alec Spencer." She shook his hand and sparks flew. Soft and warm her small hand gripped his firmly.

"Nice to meet you Beth Michaels." He refused to take his hand away first. When she didn't take her hand back he pulled her a little closer. "Very nice to meet you."

When she sucked her lower lip into her mouth pinning it down with her teeth he came close to begging. Beth leaned in close and spoke in a low, husky, desire filled voice, "You don't waste time do you Alec?"

"Not when I find something I want." Grinning coyly she leaned back and took the plastic stick with a row full of cherries from her drink and plucked one off with her teeth. Blue Lady he wanted to be that cherry. But to his surprise she didn't chew it or swallow it instead she returned to her previous position of being within inches of him.

The bright red ball of sweetness peeked out from between her teeth, her tongue gently stroked the curve and kept him captive. Alec wished he was the cherry held prisoner in her delicate mouth. Beth sucked it back in her mouth and closed the remaining distance between their lips.

Heat flared though his body, he lifted his hand to cup her cheek. Alec caressed the smooth skin beneath his palm with his thumb. Pillow soft lips met his firm ones enthusiastically, their tongues touched as Beth passed the sweet treat to him. He pulled back and chewed the cherry. "Hmm. That's the tastiest cherry I've ever had." He grinned and swallowed.

"There are plenty more where those came from." She leaned back and twirled the stick with the cherries around her glass. "And Alec, I don't waste time either." She lifted the stick out of the rum and coke and sucked another into her mouth.

"That's good to know. "He rocked back and forth on his feet. It's good to know she was on the same track he was.

TBC


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_Next Morning; 6:57 a.m._

Light pierced painfully through the thin curtains of the hotel room, slices of brightness skewer her brain. She couldn't remember a time when she wasn't light sensitive, Alex told her it was because Manticore wanted her to see best at night. However the theory she went with and was sticking to was torture.

The warm body next to her stirred but didn't wake. Last night was the first time she slept with a guy and it wasn't heat motivated. Sure there was heat, lots of heat but not 'biological gotta mate for babies' heat. Two completely separate urges, same action required.

Why had she chosen her bedmate as her first non-heat experience? Why did she break pattern for this total stranger? It was simple. She wanted a time where she was in control of her decisions, her body, her desire. That's it. No--she looked into his eyes and saw his soul; no--she felt whole for the first time in her life, none of that happened.

Silently she rose from the bed and pulled the heavier curtains closed not bothering to cover her naked body. She hadn't exactly been modest last night--anything but. Sex with Alec had been amazing; no one before him had met her--pardon the pun--thrust for thrust. Everything she gave, he gave equal or more of. By the end of the night it had been she that surrendered to sleep first.

Liz scanned the room; it's in shambles. The mirror that was on the dresser now law shattered beneath it, which had to be seven years bad luck. Or was it more since she shattered the shatters when she kicked the TV off its cheap stand. Yea, that's broken too. What could she say, Alec reached just the right spot and her leg reacted...as did the rest of her body.

And the bed, don't even get her started. The frame was cracked, the sheets were flung around the room and wall behind it sported a few dents as well. Hopefully her clothes weren't in bad shape, to be honest she couldn't remember how Alec took her clothes off, all she recalled was his mouth occupying all of her attention.

Quietly she crouched down near the bed, she knew she had a sock around here. She'd caught a glimpse of it when her head faced that area. Those were her favorite socks, thin and airy cotton to cover her feet but a thicker patch of cotton near the ankle to keep it up on the leg.

No sock there, but she did see a swatch of baby blue in the corner. A small, happy "Ooo" slipped from her lips as she crawled over to the fabric. "Oh" It was underwear, it was even her underwear which was an even bigger bonus but it wasn't all there. There's only half--guess these were headed to their new home--the garbage heap.

Liz paused, how did Alec rip these in half? He ripped the lace part easy enough but how did he tear the middle? This would probably be one of those great mysteries that would never be solved. Like when you put two socks in the dryer and got back one.

Flippantly she tossed the underwear over her shoulder as she did that she saw a piece of white thin cotton--her sock. Happily she crawled over not caring if she looked like a complete dork on all fours when she could easily have walked over. There's one sock--now it's on to the other. She rose off her hands and sat up on her knees to put said sock on the bed.

Alec was lying on his stomach smirking at her when she emerged. "Hello beautiful. What are you doing crawling around on the floor?" He had to admit she looked adorable. Hair sleep tousled, eyes wide with excitement when she found what she searched for, it's cute.

Liz proudly held up her trophy. "Sock hunt. Want to help me find the other one?"

"I got a better idea." With ease he lifted her from the floor bringing her back onto the bed to lay beside him. "See much better." Their heads rested together on the end of the bed while their bare feet entwined.

"Mmm, you're right this is loads better." Denying it wouldn't make it any less true. They sat in silence for a few minutes touching each other, and kissing softly. This was so weird for her, she'd never stuck around after a heat experience, never wanted to stay to see her partner wake.

All she pictured if she stayed after an encounter was awkwardness, a question about monies for services, maybe even the occasional 'Do you want to go out?'. Nothing worth sticking around for, for one she hated awkwardness it's the one emotion she couldn't even find a reason for. Most of her emotions had a purpose not awkward.

Two, she wasn't a hooker, all it was two sweaty bodies needing release. That does not a hooker make. Normally it's the one sweaty body needing release with another body there being the vessel...maybe they're the hooker and she's the customer--another reason to leave before the bed partner woke up she didn't have to pay.

Three, the whole 'do you want to go out with me' afterwards. Now that was the top reason she bolted--what part of 'one-night-stand' did they not compute? The whole point of a one-night-stand was to get your kicks and then when the night finished shake hands, wish each other well, God speed and be on your way.

But if she had all those reasons for leaving before dawn then why wasn't she gone now? Why was she relishing being held by Alec in the darkened room, why was she contemplating asking if he wanted to see her again? Hell she's even going to give him money to pay for the stuff she broke.

Was this the reason she bailed? Would this be the way she acted if she stayed with the others? Mushy and warm, wanting to cuddle her one-nighter. Was she the one that would put her heart out there to be trampled on? Maybe she was running from her own reaction to the one nightstand. Couldn't be hurt if you weren't there to get hurt.

Blue Lady she had to get out of there. No more of this fluffy bunny stuff. She should have stuck to her general rule of sex. Get some and get gone. Turning from Alec she hurried off the bed zeroing in on her jeans and shirt.

"Where are you going?" Alec sat up leaning on his elbow watching her scurry into her clothes. He had no idea what just happened but whatever it was it had her spooked.

"Uh, I have to get home." She shimmied into her jeans, shoved the shirt over her head and grabbed her shoes pulling them on violently. She didn't even bother to tie them.

Seeing she was hell bent on getting out there before the clock on the wall changed to the next minute he needed to get out what he wanted to say. "Hope you're not planning on leaving me to pay for the bill for all the broken furniture in here?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." She pulled out a wad of cash and tossed it on the bed. "Thanks." Liz grabbed her backpack, her jacket, and her traitorous feelings slamming the door behind her not once looking back.

TBC


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_September 1; 7:15 a.m._

Liz climbed in through the window of her bedroom, Alex lounged on her bed, drumming his fingers on his stomach. "And where have you been young lady."

"Hotel." She tossed her jacket and backpack on her desk chair. "Shoes." Liz glanced at Alex resting on her bed with his dirty shoes on her clean sheets.

He rolled his eyes but took off the shoes before moving back into his previous position. "And why were you at a hotel?" He had shown up in her room at 6:30 needing to talk to her but she wasn't home. He recalled her telling him she had a business transaction she had to take care of but would be back probably no later than midnight.

She didn't say anything and continued to move around the room. Liz grabbed some clean clothes and went into the bathroom to change. Once she was in there she set the clothes down on the toilet lid and sat down on the edge of her tub.

Normally she didn't feel this bad leaving a guy. It could be because she usually left while the guys were still asleep, she didn't look into their eyes then, didn't see pain or anger lingering in their eyes. Swallowing she stood up and undressed.

She contemplated taking a shower but decided against it, she didn't want to wash off his scent yet. She didn't want to forget their time together yet. Instead she dressed in clean clothes, brushed her hair and teeth and made sure the marks Alec left last night were visible.

When she left the bathroom Alex was still on her bed only now he was sitting up staring at her. "What?"

"Don't want details but where were you last night?" The teasing tone had disappeared and in its place was concern.

"Hotel, I told you that." She shrugged and threw her clothes in the bin next to her dresser.

Alex pursed his lips, "Obviously not alone." She didn't answer so he continued. "Are you alright?"

"Fine." She grabbed a hair-tie and gathered her hair up securing it with the tie.

As she swept her hair into the ponytail he caught sight of a red and purple hickey on the side of her neck, it stood out sharply against her skin. Something was definitely up—she never showed the marks a one-nighter left on her. Even if it was a scratch that could be explained away she covered it with a Band-Aid or make-up.

"What's going on with you?" He hoped that if he asked her straight out she'd give him a straight answer.

Finally she stopped moving about the room and looked at him, "What are you talking about?" Why was Alex acting suspicious? "What's going on with you?"

"I'm worried about you Liz. You're gone all night, no call to me to let me know. Then you come sneaking in through the window, your scent is different, and not your normal I've had sex scent…"

"Alex…"

He continued like she hadn't said his name. "And you're proudly displaying the marks of whoever you were with left. All adds up to something is not right."

"There's nothing wrong." Although what her brother pointed out did make her stop and think. She never displayed marks…most of the time she didn't allow them to mar her skin in any way.

Angry Alex stood up, grabbed his shoes and started for the door. "Fine, when you're ready to tell me you know where to find me."

He barely got to the bedroom door when Liz called to him. She touched his arm lightly and silently begged him to turn around. When he did she spoke, "Last night was the first time I've ever—I've been with someone and it wasn't a 'heat' problem."

Breathing a sigh of relief he hugged her. "I thought it was something far worse than that like Deck had found us. Or you had been hurt." He chuckled. "Don't scare me like that ok."

Liz smiled up at him. "Sorry." She pulled him back to the bed and let him sit. "So what did you want that made you seek me out at 6 in the morning?"

"Worry and I wanted to make sure you were alright. Plus someone's birthday is today." Alex kissed her forehead. "Tonight, you and me in the desert, I have a present for you." He smiled and left the room. He left the apartment quickly, got into his parent's car and drove off. He had gone there to tell her what he found. When Liz hadn't been in her room he'd been a little relieved, the information he now had could open the door to a memory that Liz didn't want opened.

Alex pulled into a store parking lot, Mom asked him to pick up some ingredients for a dish she's testing out tonight. Of course Dad and him were her guinea pigs. He had been prepared to tell Liz what he came across, until she climbed through the window and he saw her. At that moment he knew he couldn't open that emotional wound she kept walled up to the point that she didn't even remember what happened. And it was her birthday, what kind of person would he be to cause her pain on her birthday? Everyone should have one day when nothing caused hurt.

The hustle and bustle of the store didn't jar him from his thoughts; Alex maneuvered and dodged through shopping carts, squalling children, and the mothers who did their best to quiet them with ease. Liz might not remember what was done to her but he remembered her crying every night. He'd crawl from his bunk and go into hers, holding her while she relived the humiliation and pain over and over in her mind.

Last night he did what he normally did when he was at home alone, he searched for anything dealing with Manticore and the people involved with them. And last night he managed to hack into a Manticore scientist's computer, it took him a good long while to get passed firewalls and traps but once he did what he found shocked him.

The special program that Jondy, Tinga, Zack, and Zane were assigned to was on there; at least fifty videos with detailed reports of their progress and mental charts. A note on Zack's chart mentioned that Lydecker ordered brain scans after every session and to make sure the children had a therapist to talk with. The shrink was denied but the scans were approved.

He could only bring himself to watch one and he couldn't even watch it the whole way through. If he had told her what he found and saved it to an encrypted disk she'd be devastated. She never told him specifically what happened during that special program, she didn't want him to have nightmares too.

There was one video file separated from the others and labeled CO Sparks incident, it was dated 12-3-08. He didn't want to open that one ever. After that date Tinga hadn't been seen for two weeks. No one would tell their unit anything except she was on a mission. When she came back there were slight bruising on her legs and face, almost gone but still visible, she wouldn't talk about it but after that night she stopped crying. She was more irritable, quick to anger, and even quicker to kill.

Alex pushed the cart up to the check out stand and unloaded the grocery's Mom wanted him to get. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to tell Liz what he had found. No matter when it'd be brought up it would cause pain and he couldn't do that to his big sister.

TBC


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_September 4; 7:45 a.m._

Alec Spencer stood in the teacher's lounge, on the outside he was calmly drinking his coffee while reading the sports section of the paper. However on the inside he was frustrated and annoyed. Not only had he not initiated contact with Alexander Whitman he hadn't even been able to find him.

If that wasn't bad enough he couldn't get Beth Michael's out of his head. She occupied most of his waking and all of his sleeping thoughts. He should have been thankful that she didn't want to stick around, last thing he wanted or needed was for a woman to become attached to him and distract him.

Although that's what he told himself that didn't stop him from wishing she hadn't bolted. The money she left covered a little over half of the damages they caused in the hotel room. That was an interesting conversation to have with the front desk clerk.

One of the teachers who taught math came in, it was the first day of school and there was a mixture of happiness and irritation from the various teachers that had come in and out that morning.

Today he would make contact with Alexander Whitman, then he could determine whether or not he really was the illusive transgenic that broke into a Manticore facility.

Maria turned the corner toward the school while Alex reclined in the backseat munching on chips that were supposed to be for his lunch. Meanwhile Liz stared out the window watching the buildings go by till the school was reached.

"This has got to be the quietest car ride I've ever been on with you two." Maria pointed out. "Mind letting me in on what's going on? Because if you two have to disappear for a while I'd like to know so I don't worry."

Alex finished chewing on a chip before telling Maria what was going on. He put the half-empty bag on the seat beside him and leaned forward. "Ms. Parker over here has been pissy these last couple days because she can't get her mystery man off her mind."

"Alex!" Liz turned and glared.

"What? It's true. Besides you would have told Maria anyway today at lunch." He shrugged his shoulders and went back to his chips.

"What's this about a mystery man?" She took her eyes off the road for a second to smile at Liz. "Come on babe. Spill."

"Went down to a bar, met a guy, we screwed, end of story." Liz simply said. No way was she having a deep and meaningful conversation about the guy with Alex in the back seat listening to every word.

Maria rose an eyebrow. "That is not good enough. It's not just an ordinary screw if you can't keep your mind off him."

Liz turned around to look at Alex quickly. His attention was captured by the contents in his chip bag and didn't seem to be paying the least bit of attention to her and Maria. Although looks could be deceiving. She held a finger up to Maria, signaling to hold on a second.

"Hey tattle-tale put your headphones on."

"What? Why?" He glared at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Do you want to hear the details?"

"That never stopped you before." Alex argued. There was a part of Liz that got some sick pleasure out of torturing him; usually it was enough to make him reach for his headphones anyway. He liked to be able to sleep at night.

"Wow, this is different." Maria commented.

"Hush." Liz spoke to Maria but didn't take her eyes off Alex.

Irritated but grateful Alex reached into his backpack and grabbed his headphones and ipod. It was an ancient form of music device but in a post-pulse era he'd take what he could get. Although he would still be able to hear some of the girls conversation much of it would be muddled by the music flowing into his ears. Which he was grateful for.

Satisfied that Alex wouldn't be able to hear she turned her attention back Maria. "This was my first non-heat experience with a guy." She admitted.

"Oh my God. Seriously?" Maria smiled. "That's wonderful honey. No wonder this guy got under your skin. He must have been something to make you go ga-ga over him. So what's his name?"

"Alec." She smirked. "He's…" Liz let her head fall back on the headrest of her seat. "There are no words that are suitable enough to describe him. Gorgeous, funny—" Great with his tongue.

"So are you going to go out with him again?"

At that she brought her head back upright. "Doubtful."

"Why not?" Maria frowned what could possibly be the problem? "Is he like freakishly short? Does his penis have some deformity? Did he make some weird sound in bed that you can't get passed?" She chuckled.

"No, no, nothing like that. He's tall, his penis is fine, and his sounds are normal." She defended.

"Then what's the problem?" She pushed.

Liz sucked on her bottom lip lightly biting the top of it. "The morning after wasn't that wonderful." She admitted.

"What happened?" Maria asked, softening her tone.

"Everything was great and wonderful when I woke up—the room wasn't but I was. For the first time I felt…safe, protected. It was nice." She whispered looking out the window for a little bit. Maria kept quiet and waiting for Liz to continue.

"I got up and started looking for my clothes. I wasn't going to leave yet but my clothes were everywhere. So as I'm crawling on the floor searching my socks Alec wakes up. And he's adorable with his hair all mused and wild from sleep and me." She smiled. "Then he pulls me up off the floor and back into bed with him and for a second I'm fine. Not panicking at all."

Maria nodded, suddenly understanding. Liz's world wasn't one where lasting partnerships were apart of the package. All she had before were one-night stands that meant nothing to her. That being her first sexual experience, without it being heat induced scared her transgenic friend. And with her first instinct always being to escape it wasn't shocking what her reaction would have been. "But then you freak."

"Big time. I started thinking why hadn't I left yet? Why did I stick around till morning when going into it I knew it would still be a one-night stand. Then more thoughts, like what if I left all those times before because I was the one that would be too attached in the morning."

"Liz are you saying that the experience with Alec was the first time you stayed till morning?"

"Yea, before I had always left, I didn't want to deal with the hassle of dealing with clingy one-nighters. Or the awkwardness of saying goodbye. I don't have time for that." Liz shrugged.

"So what happened after you thought all those things?" She questioned.

"I bolted. Found my pants, shirt, and shoes and I was out of there." Liz shook her head in embarrassment. "God I even gave him money."

"You gave him money? Like he was a man-whore?" Maria cringed. That wasn't good.

"Not in that way, he was upset that I was leaving in such a hurry and he said that he hoped I didn't expect him to pay for all the damage to the room. That's when I gave him some money."

Maria nodded. "Okay that's a little better at least." She turned the corner and pulled into the school parking lot. "After school you and I need to have an ice cream gab session. When the carton is empty you'll feel much better and be ready to look for your next hunk."

"I hope so, because feeling guilty, horny, and angry all at the same time…sucks." Liz unbuckled her seat belt and turned back to Alex who was still happily listening to his music. She tapped him on the leg, "Hey you can take those off now."

"What?" Alex didn't take his headphones off.

Growling she reached for the ear piece. "You can take those off now."

"Oh, thanks for telling me." He rolled his eyes and straightened his headset. Alex grabbed his backpack and chips and climbed out of the Jetta. "See you in Science." He jogged into the school leaving the two girls in the parking lot.

"Something tells me he's meeting Isabel before class." Maria commented.

"What was your first clue?" Liz joked back.

"The desperation in his jog and the puppy dog look he was sporting. Classic seeing Isabel signs." The two friends laugh and follow Alex into the school.

As they round the corner walking toward their lockers Maria instantly noticed Max waiting directly in front of Liz's locker. "Moping alien at eleven o'clock."

"Fantastic. Just what my day needs." Liz sighed. Quickly she searched the area and pulled Maria into a deserted classroom.

"Yes, thank you I wanted to go this way." Maria huffed.

"Sorry but he hadn't seen me yet and still need to talk to you." The last thing she needed was to deal with Max when she didn't have a solid plan of attack. "Okay, I'm going to go to my first class and avoid my locker till lunch."

"Avoid your locker? Liz you told the boy that you didn't want to see him anymore, if you avoid him he might get the idea that you still have major feelings for him and then he'll never get over his obsession." She logically pointed out. "And besides how do you know he won't be in your first period class—then you'd have to talk to him."

"He's not." She told her firmly.

"How do you know?"

"I had Alex change his classes, the only two we're in together are Science and English, those were unavoidable though since there is only one advanced science class and the other English class was filled this year." She sheepishly admitted.

"So you'd have to deal with him today anyway. Just get it over with and then you can breathe easy."

Liz thought it over for a moment. "You're right. I can do this." She stood up straighter.

"Yes." Maria pumped her up.

"Go up there and acknowledge him."

"Yes."

"Show him that I'm staying firm in my decision."

"Yes."

"And you're coming with me." Liz grabbed Maria's arm and dragged her with her.

"Huh? Wait."

TBC


	16. Chapter 15

A.N. This next chapter mentions a meeting between Michael and Liz, originally it was going to be chapter 14 or 15 but I wanted to get to the school so instead of the whole meeting being it's own chapter it'll only be mentioned.

**Chapter 15**

Liz held on tightly to Maria's hand till she reached the hallway that both her and Maria's lockers were on, then she let go portraying a strong front. Max still waited directly on her locker searching the hall for her.

As soon as she was within fifteen feet of him he noticed her. He smiled sheepishly at her and moved aside a little so she could get into her locker. "Hey Liz."

"Hi Max." She didn't return his smile but wasn't rude to him either.

Maria waved, greeting Max, even though he hadn't noticed her till she said hello. Distractedly he smiled and greeted her back but then returned his full attention to Liz. She rolled her eyes keeping the smirk off her face while she went behind Max to her locker.

"Sorry about the ambush but I needed to talk to you." Max admitted.

"Kinda figured." She put some of the books from her backpack into her locker. "So what did you want to talk about?" As if she didn't know.

From behind Max Maria made faces toward Liz showing exactly what she thought of the situation. She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and shook her head. Yea, Maria knew too what was on Max's mind. It was hard not to know.

"Well, I know you said that we shouldn't see each other more." Max started.

"Yes, that is what I said." Liz agreed.

Max swallowed and continued. "It's been almost a week, I haven't called you, talked to you…"

"Can you get to the point please." Dancing around the issue would only annoy her. Maria leaned back and mouthed 'Be nice.' To which she glared back at her friend.

"The point is I was hoping you had changed your mind. If this is about Tess and spending time with her this summer I'm sorry but it's important Michael, Isabel, Tess, and I get stronger but we're not together." Max practically pleaded.

"Max, I'm not upset that you spent time with Tess this summer. If it helps you and the others then you should have. It's not about that." She sighed.

He shrugged, "Then I don't see what the problem is. Did I upset you when you came back? I hadn't seen you for the entire summer I was excited to see you, I don't see a problem with that." He argued.

No matter what she said whether it be in a nice way or a downright bitchy way Max would be hurt. "Max you are a great guy, I'm sorry that I was so mean to you when I first came home and I'm sorry that I wasn't more…sensitive when I broke up with you."

Max smiled a little thinking they were getting back together. Maria took note of his changed posture and shook her head. That boy never learned, he was going to get his heart trampled on again and he couldn't see it coming.

"I could have said it a little nicer, calmer. But Max the message behind it, where we are over and never getting back together again…that I meant. If you want we can still be friends but that is as far as we will…" Max didn't let her finish, he stormed off away from her down the hallway and to his first class.

"The dreaded friends category." Maria closed her locker. "No guy, especially that boy wants to be friends with his obsession."

"The last thing I want is him out of my life completely. He's a good guy but dammit—" She didn't finish her sentence just shook her head negatively.

"I hear ya girl. Max refuses to believe that you and he weren't meant to be." She wrapped her arm around Liz's shoulders. "Hell, I have a problem believing it but if you're sure and happy with your decision what can I do besides support you."

"Thanks Ria. You're one of a kind."

"Better believe it chica. See you in Math?" Maria squeezed her shoulders and then hurried toward her first class of the day.

Liz shut the door to her locker and made her way toward her language class. She had Spanish, Michael, Kyle, and Alex shared the class with her. As she rounded the corner a hand reached out and grabbed her around the waist and mouth pulling her into the nearby room.

Tess sat in the library with her newly purchased laptop, with Nasedo gone pretending to be Pierce she had to keep busy somehow. It was so lonely in the house, she wished she had a puppy, at least then she wouldn't feel as alone.

For the last couple months she had been working figuring out the destiny book. She had hoped she would have an easy time of it. After all she knew the language at one point but unfortunately her memories hadn't included the language and knowing how to read it.

Over the summer she had gotten a little closer to the others. Max sought her out regularly but it was only to get information. Michael only got together with her during their training sessions. Isabel on the other hand spent some time with her doing her best to get to know her, however their conversations usually went back to information gathering. While Maria refused to acknowledge her, that had more to do with her being Liz's friend then anything else.

Tess started up a solitaire game tired of working on the destiny book. She wished she had a friend that would support her no matter what. It sounded like it would be a nice thing to have.

Feeling sorry for herself she closed down the computer. Class would start soon anyway. Slipping her laptop into her backpack she left the library and walked toward her first class. Checking her schedule she saw she had History. She had no idea whom if anybody she knew had the class with her; no one bothered to ask her.

Years of military training kicked in and she wrestled her way out of the person's embrace. Liz kicked her opponent in the stomach, and then she twisted their arm behind their body and plowed their body into the chalkboard.

Only then did she see who her capture was. "Michael?" She glared. "What the hell are doing." She let him go and moved away.

"Jesus, that's a strong kick." He complimented.

"Thanks. Now what the hell were you doing dragging me in here?" She straightened her jacket and picked her books up off the floor.

"I needed to talk to you but Maria was with you and I didn't want her to get suspicious." He admitted.

"And dragging me into the Eraser Room isn't being suspicious? Maybe I should remind you what this room is for?" She smirked. Laughing she hopped up onto the desk. "So what do you want."

"Isabel and Max were asking questions about where I was two days ago."

Liz glared. "And what did you tell them?" She knew he didn't tell Max anything, if he had Max would have mentioned it in his desperation to get back together. He wouldn't be able to contain his anger at not being let in on her secret since he had trusted his with her.

"Nothing, just that I needed a break and went out to the desert." He assured her.

"So what's the problem?" She leaned back.

"How am I going to explain the bruises and cuts?" Since Hank, Isabel and Max were more aware of abrasions he suffered, now they weren't scared to confront him about abuse he may be suffering.

Liz shrugged. "We can always stop the training. Or you can join a class that teaches what I'm teaching you."

Michael had come to her on the second of September and asked her to help train him. He wanted to be ready for whatever threat came at them. She admired his willingness to learn and protect his family any way he could.

"No, that's not an option. I want to learn, I have to learn. The enemies won't take it easy on me if I can't fight well." He knew how to fight but it was street fighting, basic protecting of one's body. He didn't know how to kill, to permanently injure, Liz did and against their enemies those were handy skills to possess.

"Then my only piece of advice is learn fast. The faster you learn the less owie's you'll get."

"Owie's?" He rose an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes and picked up her books from the desk and made her way toward the door. "Oh by the way. My father wants to talk to you."

"What why?"

"Michael he found you on my bed at six in the morning. Granted I hadn't been there all night," She had been out in the desert with Alex; he gave her a small birthday celebration with him and Maria. "But my Dad didn't know that."

Her parents knew she and Alex were siblings and that they were different but they never pried further than that. Neither wanted to traumatize her more than she had been, so they never asked and she never told.

"I thought your Dad believed your excuse?" Liz had told Jeff that Michael called and asked for her help in getting back with Maria, so she told him to come over. They were on a little bit of an off phase but it was only a matter of time before they were back on again.

"He did but he's overly protective of me and wants to make sure you have no ill intentions toward me. Be prepared to be threatened." She smiled and left the Eraser Room quickly and quietly.

The day had continued in much the same way as any first day would. Students grumbled going to classes but were thrilled to see friends they hadn't seen since the end of the last year. English was her next class; she had Alex, Max, and Tess in the class.

She went in through the back door, most of class was already seated but there was an empty seat next to Max and another next to Alex. She closed her eyes in a silent thank you for Alex's foresight. He had set his backpack and some of his things on the desk and chair so it looked like the seat was taken.

Liz hurried toward him, once he saw her he moved his stuff back to his side. "Hey partner." Alex smiled. The name of the English teacher that was on their schedule was known to make people partner up and work on assignments together.

"You're in a happy mood." She smiled back. "Anything to do with Isabel?"

"Always. But that's not the only reason." He smirked. "There's a rumor going around school and you and certain…Czech."

"What?" Liz frowned. "What about me and Max?" She didn't their conversation had been that interesting to garner the whole school talking about them.

"No not you and boy King. You and Michael." He revealed.

"Me and…"

"Michael. Pam Troy saw you leave the Eraser room and then a few seconds later a rumpled Michael came out. She's been spreading the rumor like wildfire."

"Dammit. Has Maria heard?"

"I'm sure she has but you know her, she'll confront you in Math and clear the whole thing up." Alex looked back at Max and Tess. "So what really happened?"

Liz rolled her eyes, "Nothing like Pam Troy is spreading. Michael wanted to talk to me about the whole me and Max breaking up. Wanted to make sure I wasn't just stringing him along till I was ready for him to be my boyfriend again. Unfortunately he grabbed me and pulled me into the Eraser room which was when I shoved his body into the chalkboard."

Alex let out a loud laugh. "Oh Blue Lady I would pay to see that." He held his stomach and continued to laugh.

"Oh shut up." She lightly hit his shoulder.

The bell rang loudly and many of the students quieted somewhat but didn't stop their conversations because the teacher still hadn't shown yet.

A minute after the bell rang though the teacher entered and Liz's heart stopped. Alec. Alec there, at her school, in her class, setting his briefcase on the desk. "Oh shit."

TBC


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Liz who had been sitting on one of her legs quickly lifted her butt up and moved her left leg till her foot laid flat on the floor. She slid down in her chair until the guy's head in front of her effectively kept her out of the eye line of Alec.

Alex turned and stared at Liz oddly. One second she was smiling and talking to him now she's slouched in her chair keeping her head down, doodling on her notebook. With the room being completely silent he couldn't get her attention without disturbing the class.

Liz stared intently at the paper in front of her. Oh shit; of all the guys she had to sleep with it had to be a new teacher. There was no way this man had been a teacher at West Roswell High till recently, she would have noticed.

"All right class. As some of you may know your regular English teacher is on maternity leave. I'll be filling in, my name is Alec Spencer." He sat on the edge of the desk.

Alec noticed a few of the girls in the class stare appreciatively at him. He knew he looked good in his black slacks and light blue buttoned shirt. Earlier that morning he had debated about the real Alec Spencer's glasses, he decided to keep them. He'd have to pretend to change to contacts before his Phys Ed. class but it'd help keep up appearances.

"Feel free to call me Alec. Or if you're not comfortable with that then Mr. Spencer's fine." That morning he had looked over the names of students in his class. Alex Whitman, his intended target was in the class, along with Elizabeth Parker, the girl he was going to check out as Whitman's sister.

Thankfully Whitman would be easy; they already had his picture from the video at one of the Manticore facilities. Granted it was a little blurry but it still gave a fairly good head shot.

"I'm going to be taking roll call now. If you prefer a nickname you'd like me to call you please let me know." He spotted Alex Whitman immediately after he entered the classroom. Alec turned slightly picking up the folder that had roll call. He took out the piece of paper and started to go down the list out loud, taking in account of who was there and who wasn't.

"Debra Donald?"

"Here." A red-headed girl in the back raised her hand. He acknowledged her and continued down the list.

"Maxwell Evans?"

He raised his hand gaining Mr. Spencer's attention. "Max."

Alec made a note next to the boy's name. He continued down the list till he reached the other person he was supposed to be keeping an eye out for. "Elizabeth Parker."

Liz swallowed passed the lump in her throat before saying. "Here." She didn't raise her hand though. The last thing she wanted was to have him recognize her but she couldn't expect to hide from him the whole year.

"Where?" Not seeing the person who went with the voice that sounded familiar but couldn't place. He had probably passed by her one of the days he walked around the town getting to know the area.

Realizing that there was no way out but to draw attention to her she straightened a bit in her seat and lifted her hand. "Here."

Alec stopped short. That was Elizabeth Parker? The woman he knew as Beth Michaels. She sat there and obviously had recognized him, no wonder she didn't raise her hand the first time. It bothered him that she lied to him, granted he lied too, he wasn't Alec Spencer, but seeing as he had no name he didn't see it as lying to the extent she did.

Also, while he wasn't a teacher in the technical sense, he still posed as a teacher. So he had slept with a student. Possibly an underage student. That could cause him a lot of problems. More accurately she could cause him a lot of problems. Although from the morning of their encounter she didn't seem the type to follow him around like a stalker he couldn't be sure.

"Go by any nicknames? Beth perhaps?" He tightened his jaw a bit.

"No, Liz." The students watched the staring contest between the teacher and one of their own.

"Of course." Alec said sarcastically. He made a note on the roll call sheet even though he'd never forget her name. Any of them. Angry but not willing to show it he finished up the roll call until he got to the last student. "Alexander Whitman?"

"Yep." He put up two fingers in greeting and kept his eyes on the teacher. Something happened between his sister and the man at the front of the class. To protect Liz he'd find out who he was and deal with him if need be.

Suddenly Alex remembered the morning Liz snuck in through her window. She had proudly displayed the marks from her encounter with whomever she had been with. Could this be the man that caused such a reaction from Liz? If it was then he was much more interested in Mr. Spencer.

"Okay." Alec set the sheet down and found the first set of papers he would hand out. "Here is the syllabus. There will be three exams, six papers, one group project and weekly assignments. I've given you the dates for when the tests are, and when the papers and weekly assignments are due." He walked in front of each row and handed them each a stack of papers to hand to the person behind them.

He didn't fight the urge to take a quick glance at Liz two seats back from the front. She stared back at him, not once turning away. Alec stayed in front of her row for a second longer than he should have. He got back on track and finished passing the first packet of papers out.

"And because this is an English class there will be reading involved. Can't tell you how many times I've had a student come up to me and complain about the amount of literature. There really isn't that much, most are short stories, no more than ten pages." Alec sat on his desk facing the students.

"Now with that being said, you will have to choose a novel to read. On the last page of the papers I gave you is a list of suggestions. You don't have to read those it's just there to give you some ideas." He explained. "Any questions about whether a book is ok, feel free to come talk to me."

"It is very important that you choose a novel within these first two weeks because the final paper is about your novel." He looked over the classroom and briefly lingered on Liz. Every time he glanced around his eyes strayed to her and wouldn't leave for many seconds. Currently she was popping the cap of her pen off and sticking it back on repeatedly.

As Alec furthered explained the way he ran his classroom Liz couldn't stop staring at him. When his shirt moved with his body she remembered what was under that shirt, rock hard abs and arms that were strong and defined. While his black pants left others to imagine what the looser fabric was hiding, not her. She knew better than anyone in the room.

Liz shifted in the seat and focused on his voice. Alec didn't speak loudly but he spoke firmly and demanded to be listened to. That voice did wonderful things to her during their night together. Ok, don't focus on his voice, desire pooled in her low belly. It wasn't good to get hot and bothered during class.

Finally thirty minutes later the bell rang and saved her from any further torture.

Alex smiled at her and opened his mouth to talk to her but Alec cut him off. "Miss. Parker, if you could wait I'd appreciate it."

He wanted her to what? "I really don't think…"

"It won't take long." Alec cut her off too.

Liz cast nervous glances from Alex to Alec. By the question in Alex's eye she'd have to explain some things later. She'd avoid that conversation if she could but Alex wasn't one to be ignored when he really went after information. "Ok, sure."

"Great." He smiled falsely. Alec leaned against the desk and waited for the classroom to clear out. Alex was the last to go but not before telling her he'd see her at lunch.

Liz was tempted to call her brother back but she resisted that urge. Once Alex left she and Alec were alone. Thankfully the door was still open but then she saw Alec move from the desk and closed the very door that gave her a modicum of comfort.

"You lied to me."

TBC


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"So?" Liz crossed her arms angrily.

"That's all you have to say to me?" Alec stepped forward. He didn't know why it bothered him so much that she lied to him on their first meeting but it did.

Liz shrugged. "What the hell should I say? Yes I lied to you somewhat."

"You call giving me a fake first and last name somewhat lying to me?" He couldn't believe her.

She sent him a look that asked him if he was that stupid. "Technically 'Beth' was not a fake name. Granted it's not the nickname I usually use but it's still a nickname for Elizabeth. The last name however I'll admit was a lie; I don't see why you're so upset about that."

Alec stepped closer to her and came dangerously close to invading her personal bubble. His presence surrounded her and she wanted nothing more than to apologize to Alec for not being wholly truthful so he'd forgive her then screw her into the wall. Yea, she had her priorities straight, sure she just had to keep telling herself that.

Why was it that when she was around him all her sensible and rational emotions shut off and went into hiding? Standing close to him brought out instincts that she at times tried to ignore or deny she had. Animal instincts that clawed and fought with each other.

"The name thing doesn't upset me as much as screwing a sixteen year old does. Not to mention you're my student." Alec argued. He could get fired and that would compromise the entire operation.

"First of all I'm…seventeen not sixteen," She almost blurted out her actual age of twenty-one. That wouldn't have been very smart of her. That information would only raise red flags and she couldn't afford that. "Second of all I had no idea you were a teacher and you had no idea I'd be your student."

Alec's eyes drifted down to her chest heaving with irritation and a bit of anger. It was September in Roswell and sweaters were not a part of the attire yet. A bead of sweat trickled down her tanned neck and fell down between the valley of her breasts.

"Doesn't change the fact that you are." His voice had become husky and filled with want. As soon as he came an inch closer he saw her breath hitch. Liz swept her lashes up and stared at him with a fire smoldering in her dark orbs.

"What bothers you more?" She closed the gap between their bodies and touched her hands to his chest playing with the buttons holding his shirt closed. "The fact that you slept with your student..." Liz bit her lip and projected the air of sexy innocence. "Or the fact that you want to do it again?" Liz stood on her tip toes and delicately nipped at his jaw. She reveled in the gulp she heard.

A screech from outside the classroom and down the hall cut into their moment. Liz pulled away. In a few minutes the classroom would be crawling with students again. After the pulse school attendance dropped away significantly. Almost fifty percent of students left school, but that had more to do with their parent's home schooling them.

Although she pulled away from Alec she kept her palms pressed against his stomach. "See you later…Mr. Spencer." She brushed passed him making sure to touch him with her body.

When she got arms length away from him he grabbed her arm gently but firmly. "Don't play games with me. This can come back to bite us both in the ass." He barely noticed his thumb rubbing assuring circles on her delicate bicep.

Liz smirked. Stepping closer to him she stared up at him. "Well, when you're ready to play let me know. We'll have fun." She kissed his lips quickly before leaving his grasp and hurrying out the door.

Alec watched her go and clenched his fists. Dammit, he wanted to follow her and show her who the alpha was. His scowl remained on his face until the first student of his next class came into the room. He had a job to do and he couldn't be distracted. If she wanted to play though then he'd be game. She just better be ready for him.

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Liz ran to her math class, Maria would want to talk to her about what she had heard happened between her and Michael. Pam Troy of course had to tell Maria the worse possible explanation for their appearance after leaving the Eraser room.

She passed through the doorway and sure enough there Maria was tapping her pen. Unfortunately she and Maria weren't alone in the class. Tess, Pam, and Vicki Delany were also present.

Seeing Liz, Pam spoke up for the whole class to hear. "Well Liz, going for your friends boyfriends now? And going for it right in the Eraser room where Maria's locker is nearby, that's ballsy." She sneered.

Liz nodded tweaking her jaw to the side in irritation, Pam, while being the town mattress wasn't stupid. She held a solid 3.5 GPA and at one point was neck and neck with her and Alex for top scores.

"What are you throwing stones for Pam?" Maria spoke up. "Didn't I see you last week at the movies making out with Daryl Fern? Isn't that Tina's boyfriend? You remember Tina don't you, your best friend since first grade, the same best friend that is in the hospital with a broken leg and concussion from a car accident that you caused?"

Liz and Maria high-fived each other as Liz sat down in the chair next to her. "Nice." She complimented Maria.

"Thank you." She smiled. "So I know what Pam was spreading was the highly exaggerated version of what actually happened but just to ease my mind what did happen?" Maria questioned. It wasn't that she believed anything that came out of Pam's mouth but if she didn't get the real story then her imagination would run wild and that would be hell.

"Michael wanted to make sure that I wasn't stringing Max along. He pulled me into the Eraser room; it being the only room we could talk privately in and since I didn't know who it was I shoved him into the chalkboard. Hence his mused appearance." Liz explained the same lie she told Alex. "So ease those racing ideas." The two continued to chit-chat for a couple minutes before the bell rang.

TBC


	19. Chapter 18

A.N. This chapter has a little bit of everyone. I'm also messing with the events of Season 2, some things happen, some things don't…I'm being real specific there aren't I? Nasedo is still alive and some of the things that happen in the first 2 eps of season 2 are being spread out over a longer stretch of time.

**Chapter 18**

Leaving Math, Maria and Liz linked arms laughing at Pam, because she was so frazzled by what Maria had spilled to the whole class she wasn't paying attention to much and tripped over a backpack laying on the floor. She landed on her face fairly hard and had to go home for the day.

"That bitch should know never to mess with me and mine." Maria's locker was first on their stops then they'd stop by hers.

"You do take on the Mama Bear persona when someone tries to tear us down."

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Tess stared longingly after Maria and Liz. For once she'd like someone to have her back. Nasedo, when he was there took Max's side on many issues. He's the King he must be followed. It'd be nice if he took the side of the girl he had been protecting for years once in a while.

She gathered her books and left the classroom plastering a confident expression on her face as soon as she turned the corner she slammed into another student heading the opposite direction. "Oh crap." She dropped her books and instantly bent to pick them up.

"Sorry I wasn't watching where I was going." The familiar voice apologized.

"It's ok Alex." Tess assured him as he bent down to help her gather her books.

"Tess? Wow I just can't seem to help running into you. First at the mall now in the hall." Alex laughed. "Hey, that rhymed."

Tess chuckled along with him. "I guess it did."

"It's ok, you don't have to laugh. I know a lame joke when I tell one." Alex helped her stand up and held onto two of her books. "Hey, Maria and Liz are in this Math class too."

"Yea, I saw them in there. We didn't really get a chance to talk though." Tess lied; they hadn't wanted to talk to her. They were too busy chatting with each other and didn't bother to let her join in even though she was in the seat behind Maria.

"What class do you have next?" Alex kept the books and started walking with Tess.

"Economics with Mrs. Eleanor." She told him a little nervous that he wouldn't let her carry her own books. It was sweet but she'd never have someone do it just to be nice. Usually a guy did it to get into her pants and if a girl did it they wanted to throw the book across the hall.

"Just had her. She left her hearing aid at home so be prepared to do nothing. She'll hand out the syllabus, tell you to read it then leave you to your own devices." Alex explained.

"Sounds like it'll be fun." Once they reached the classroom Alex handed her back her books.

"Have fun, and I'll see you at lunch Tess." He waved and hurried off to his next class, music with Mr. Longhorn.

Tess waved but Alex didn't catch it since his back was turned. Smiling a little she shook her head. That was a first, most of the time when someone from their group bumped into her or passed her in the hallway they'd continue on their way with barely a hello and goodbye. Alex had actually stopped where he was going and walked with her. It was nice.

Holding the books off to her side she walked into Economics. No one she knew, so far were in the class. There was still five minutes before the bell rang though so maybe Max, Michael, or Isabel would be there.

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By the time lunch rolled around Alec had officially beaten himself up at least twice…mentally anyway. He had Alex Whitman, his intended target in his class and he let the kid walk away without even initiating contact. At first he tried to rationalize his decision by acknowledging that Elizabeth, Liz, was also on his list of suspects but he knew that wasn't the real reason.

Already she was causing wrinkles in the mission. He had to be more focused, make it clear that nothing would happen between them again. He's her teacher, she's his student. It couldn't work.

He stood up from his chair as the last student in his freshman English class left for lunch. Alec took the keys from his jacket pocket as he slipped it on over his shoulders. His last mission before this had also been a teaching job, that time he taught Math to a bunch of middle schooler's. A rogue transgenic had been enrolled and Manticore wanted him back.

He loaded his briefcase up with papers and some other items he brought with him; he then closed the top and swung it off the desk. Walking out of the room, briefcase in hand, he locked the door behind him. He'd go down to the cafeteria buy lunch and eat in the teacher's lounge.

As he walked down the hall he noticed the blatant stares directed his way from girls. Even a few female teachers he hadn't met yet were gawking at him. It didn't shock him or bother him but blending in wasn't his forte.

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Max stood at his locker and watched as Liz breezed by him without noticing him. She and Maria had their arms linked together hurrying to the cafeteria. Ever since their break up he'd been picking up more hours at the UFO Center. Anything to keep his mind off Liz.

Having a new boss certainly helped. He had to figure out Brody Davis rules, what kind of person he was, what he tolerated, what he didn't. Most importantly what he was hiding. Brody was off, he couldn't pin-point what it was but he was clearly hiding something big.

Nasedo had returned to his Agent Pierce appearance and headed back to Washington D.C. after his brief visit there. He drew in a shaky breath; he still had nightmares of his time in the White Room. The after affects of being tortured didn't just go away when the morning sun came out.

Mom and Dad were worried about him, he was pulling away from them, and the only person he stayed close to anymore was Isabel. Even his sister didn't know everything he went through though and she wasn't going to either, not if he had anything to say about it.

He and Michael on the other hand were growing further apart. Every time they were in the same room they were at each other's throats within minutes. He shook his head, they usually did get into arguments but they'd been escalating in frequency lately.

Now, since the rumor about Michael and Liz made their rounds, he had to talk to him. It was unlikely the two of them had anything going on but he couldn't stop the wild thoughts being conjured in his mind. Both of them were free technically, but he knew neither would do that to him or Maria. At least he hoped they wouldn't.

Max doubted Maria would be linking arms with Liz if she believed or knew about the rumor. It was unlikely that Maria didn't know, she knew gossip, which was her form of entertainment.

Max quietly shut his locker door and followed the sea of students toward the cafeteria. Tomorrow he had a therapist appointment. Mom was determined to get him to talk to somebody, if not her than maybe someone outside the family could help. There wasn't much anyone could do though, not unless they knew the whole story which wasn't going to happen ever.

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Isabel clutched her books to her chest as she walked with Michael towards the cafeteria. "How could you drag her into the Eraser room? It's not like we need more attention."

"Isabel I told you I couldn't have Maria seeing Liz and I talking. Last thing I need is for her to think I'm trying to get back together with her." He shrugged off.

"Oh, so it's better that she thinks you're going after her best friend. Yea, that makes sense." Isabel rolled her eyes and grabbed a tray.

Michael sighed. "Nothing like that happened."

"That's not what Pam Troy's spreading around." Isabel pointed out.

He shook his head. "Pam Troy is just trying to spread something other than disease. She saw my shirt a little askew and jumps to me screwing Liz in the Eraser room. Girl needs a hobby."

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Kyle, already seated with his team mates, shook up his milk carton. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Isabel and Michael chatting by the cashier and Liz and Maria entering the cafeteria, shortly followed by Tess.

Ever since Max placed a hand over his chest and healed him he'd been on the lookout for antennas coming out from his head or a green tint to his skin. To his relief so far there hadn't been but he had no idea what happened after Max healed him. Liz obviously had been fine, to his knowledge anyway, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be different.

Biting into his corn dog he tried to get his mind off the idea of possibly becoming an alien but it was difficult to not be worried. Dad couldn't stop praising Max and it wasn't that he was ungrateful for what Max did he just got tired of the constant bowing Dad did to Max now.

It bothered him that Dad picked him up late from football camp because of some alien mini-meeting. Why did he have to be a last priority now that the alien secret had been revealed to him and Dad? It wasn't fair.

A bit after Tess came in and got in line Max and Alex slid passed the line of kids getting food and went straight out to the courtyard. The two carried sack lunches and were probably on their way to securing a table for everyone. He expected at some point one of the members of the 'I Know an Alien Club' would come and ask him to sit with them, he couldn't see that happening. He didn't want to become any more involved in their drama then he already was, Dad might put his life on hold for them but he refused too.

TBC


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_Cafeteria_

"So I've been thinking about—and I know this is completely crazy but maybe Michael and I could start back up again." Maria shrugged. "I mean if you and Max aren't taking the plunge back into date land at least Michael and I can try."

Liz spotted Alec striding through the double doors of the lunch room with confidence. Seeing him walk across a room, taking in that swagger he had that let anyone looking know he knew how hot he was. Damn that man.

"Hello? Liz? We were having a conversation that usually requires at least two people and more than just me speaking." Maria teased.

"Sorry. Umm, yea, if you really want to get back together with Michael…"

Maria pushed her tray down the line and groaned loudly with frustration. "No, no, no this not a supportive best friend exchange, this is a talk me out that idea exchange."

"Again, sorry. I got distracted." Liz apologized and turned her focus back to Maria. The least she could do was listen to her friend while she talked about Michael and their on again, off again relationship.

"It's ok. What's got you so distracted?" Maria handed the cashier money then had to wait while the student in charge tried to make change for her ten.

Liz glanced away for a second to grab an apple off to the left and sneak a peek at Alec who had paid for his lunch and was leaving the cafeteria. "As you might say I saw some candy…"

"That needed lickin'." Maria finished and the two girls laughed together. "Let me take a stab at this one, the hot new English teacher?" She smirked happily.

"How'd you guess?"

"Please Liz, the man has made his way around the fair female sex today." Maria waited off to the side while Liz paid for her lunch as well.

"What?" Liz glared a bit. No, Alec clearly had a problem with getting involved with a student. There was no way he would hit on other girls after their conversation. She swallowed hard passed the lump in her throat. Blue Lady why did that bother her so much?

"Mr. Spencer has been gossiped about all day. Not a single straight female or gay male hasn't been told or seen how hot the man is." She explained. "This is the one time I regret not being a brain. Mr. Spencer is teaching only one normal level English class and it's for freshmen."

Without Maria noticing she breathed a small sigh of relief. Although Maria didn't catch her eased mind she certainly caught the reaction she had only a few seconds earlier.

"So feeling a little possessive are we of the new teacher?" She whispered softly in her friend's ear.

"What? No." Liz shrugged off her question.

"Sweetie, come on. It's me we're talking about here. We've been friends for years I think I know when you're a little—" She searched for the right word.

"Interested?" Liz supplied.

"I was going to say uppity. But interested is also good." Maria smirked. Once Liz had paid the two walked slowly toward the outside entrance.

"It's nothing really Maria." Liz fibbed.

Maria rolled her eyes. "And I may believe that if I didn't know you as well as I do." Although she called Liz on her evasion of the question she didn't push the issue. Yet.

Getting in sight of Max and Alex, Maria nodded toward her other best friend when he waved to them. The duo were still a minute or so away, so Maria jumped right into what had been bothering her for the last few days.

"Ok, so I don't want you to find out from Max and think I was keeping something from you, but he and I spent a lot of time together this summer." Immediately realizing how that sounded she added. "In a friends kind of way not a sneaking behind your and Michael's backs kind of way."

Liz nodded. "That's good. I'm glad he had someone to hang out with. You know besides the Czech's." She ceased caring about Max after she cut ties with him after the message from his and Isabel's mother. Inwardly she sighed, she'd like that to be true, but fact of the matter was she did care what happened to him, just not in a relationship way.

Neither girl had a chance to talk about anymore private things because they had reached the table. Since they first spotted the table Max and Alex picked out Michael and Isabel had joined them and Tess was on her way over. Maria seeing an opportunity to bug Tess quickly snagged the only seat left open next to Max.

Liz noticed Maria's game and fought the smirk itching at the corner of her mouth. She didn't like Tess, everything about the girl screamed manipulator. From her delicate blond curls, down to her baby blue eyes and full mouth not to mention the killer body on top of her beautiful face. Manticore would have loved her.

That could be why she didn't trust the blond, she reminded her too much of Manticore and what they strived for—perfection. Liz could clearly see Tess undercover getting information for them and not only doing it but enjoy playing with people.

Liz sat next to Maria and tore into her food with her plastic fork. There were two times the amount of food on her plate than Maria or Isabel had on theirs. She even had more food than Michael, but not Alex. Because of their DNA and enhanced abilities she and Alex needed approximately fifteen hundred more calories than regular humans…or regular aliens.

"Here Tess, there's enough room for you right here." Alex scooted over a bit pressing into Isabel a little more.

Liz chewed and dangled her fork over her noodles drenched in a sauce so disgusting that she didn't want to know what it was made out of. The pulse hadn't made school food taste any better. She cautiously watched as Tess sat down between Alex and Michael. Liz sniffed and swallowed her food. Alex from across the way glared at her slightly.

She raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes at him. What was he getting all irritated at her for? It wasn't like she was obvious in her dislike of Tess and she certainly hadn't lied about her feelings toward the blond. Although that's probably the only thing she hadn't lied about lately.

Over the next half hour the group talked about normal teenage things and left the world of aliens (and transgenics) behind. If only for a little while.

TBC


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

After lunch the group split up each heading toward their next class of the day. Maria, loud enough for Tess to hear, said that she couldn't believe she had to have one of her favorite classes with one of her least favorite people. Both blondes had photography and Maria clearly made her displeasure known.

Alex cleared his throat and threw Maria a glare. He didn't like that his best friend and sister were constantly showing Tess, by look, comment, or action that they didn't like her. Neither were being fair to her, she didn't ask to be Max's bride in a previous life, he was fairly certain she didn't ask to come to Roswell and shake things up. Essentially being the start of Max's and Liz's downward spiral.

Maria not the least bit intimidated stared right back. "I stand by my statement." She waved to Liz and was off to photography, leaving behind a slightly embarrassed Tess.

Michael, who couldn't care less about what the problem between the three chicks was, left the group quickly. He and Isabel had their next class together, English with Ms. Rothman, but he figured Isabel would want a few moments with Alex before coming to class.

Max, Liz, and Alex all had the same advance science class that period and while she was waiting on Alex, Max was waiting on her. He hadn't tried to talk to her all lunch period except for the occasional short sentence. Max had given her space during lunch now he wanted to talk if only for a little bit.

Liz noticed his eagerness to walk with her, which became the main reason why she stayed and waited for Alex. She didn't want to be alone with him, if only to avoid having essentially the same conversation she'd had with him twice before.

She stayed far enough away from Alex and Isabel to give them some privacy but remained close enough to the couple to give Max a moment or two of hesitation. Since they were headed in the same direction she couldn't exactly dodge him without him suspecting something.

Tess left the remaining members of their group without saying a word to anyone. Liz barely noticed as she raced down the hall and got lost in a sea of students.

Peeking over at Alex Liz realized that he didn't plan on leaving Isabel's side yet. The two were whispering quietly and nuzzling. "See ya in class Alex." Liz didn't wave because he wouldn't see it.

Max fell into step behind her. "Liz wait."

"Sorry Max, I really have to go to the bathroom." She pushed open the door to the girl's bathroom and left Max standing frustrated and confused in the hallway.

Yes, she knew it wasn't the best way to deal with the Max situation but if she had to tell him the same thing for the third time he wouldn't enjoy her reaction. One time fine, twice a little irritating but nothing to freak out about, third time she wouldn't be nice or gentle…although she wasn't that gentle the first time so maybe she would be nice about it the next time.

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After leaving the group Tess hurried into the Eraser Room. She didn't care if people saw that wasn't her problem. It wasn't as if she was meeting someone in there.

Using her powers she melted the lock. With another wave of her hand she made the room soundproof. As soon as she did Tess dropped her books and purse on the floor with her body following close behind. She gripped the door knob and slid down the door sobbing in pain.

Maria's words hit her hard. She was use to be hated by many girls, the occurrence wasn't an oddity when they were constantly worried about her intentions toward their boyfriends or crushes. But to hear it from a girl who had the chance to know her and knew her better than most people did hurt.

While Maria didn't know everything she knew some of what kind man Nasedo was, how she had to of grown up in his care. She knew that Tess was an alien, one of her biggest secrets. While they weren't close Maria knew things that people walking in the hall didn't know about her.

It only drove home the reason why she put up a façade that nobody could penetrate. If Maria could hurt her and in the grand scheme of things only knew a small portion of who she was than she could only imagine how hurtful it would be with someone that she let completely in.

She took a few moments to gather her emotions and place them back in the box she kept them in. With a swipe of her hand she erased all the indications that she had been crying. With two more swipes she de-soundproofed the room and undid the damage to the door. With her confident air back in place she left the small room and rushed to Photography.

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After making sure Max had left the hallway Liz left the bathroom. She briefly thought about skipping the rest of the day but then she might not get to choose Alex as her science partner. The two of them working together on an assignment cut the time in half. Technically it could be done faster but they didn't want to raise suspicions.

She jogged to Science and entered a second before the bell rang. Mr. Seligman looked away from the chalkboard and raised an eyebrow at her. "Cutting it close today aren't we Miss. Parker?"

"Sorry Mr. Seligman." She hurried over to where Alex saved her a seat. Liz didn't notice Max's hopeful face fall when she didn't sit by him or acknowledge him.

"Where were you?" Alex whispered.

"Bathroom." She simply told him.

Alex stared down at his blank paper. "Why are you and Maria so mean to her?" He asked suddenly.

Liz felt the coolness in his tone. "I'm not going to pretend to be stupid and not know who you're talking about." She told him. "And I didn't say a word about Tess or to her at lunch."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about." Alex finally turned his eyes on her. "Not once have you made an effort to be her friend and find out what kind of person she is." He pointed his pen at her. "Whenever Tess makes a move you have a look. When she talks you roll your eyes. She doesn't deserve it."

"First of all, I don't need anymore friends. Second, I just don't like her. It's not a requirement for me to like everyone." She glared.

"You don't have to be friends but you're not even polite."

Liz shook her head. "Never thought you'd be so gullible to fall for a pretty face."

"Mr. Whitman. Miss Parker. Care to explain why you're talking through my introduction to Science speech?" Mr. Seligman questioned.

"Sorry." Alex said. He glared at Liz for a moment before writing a note on the once blank paper. When the teacher returned to the chalkboard he tossed the note in her general direction.

The note almost hit her in the face, yea, she crossed the line with her comment but why did he care what she did or didn't say to Tess? She opened the note. Scrawled angry words jumped from the page as she read what he wrote.

'_Don't go there. Besides going after Max when she first got here she hasn't done shit to you. And if you think I can be easily duped by a pretty girl then you clearly don't know me as well as you think.'_

Liz let out a soft but frustrated breath. She quickly wrote back to him. _'Dammit Alex, there is something not right about her. How can you not see that? She's getting close to you for some reason and you're stupid to think otherwise.'_

Once Alex read what she wrote his expression got angrier. Truth hurts brother dear. His biceps flexed and he tried to calm some before writing back to her.

'_Nice to know you think so little of me. It's one thing with Tess since you don't know her but with me? That's low Liz, really fucking low. Heaven forbid another beautiful girl, besides Isabel, wants to spend time with me.'_

'_I'm sorry Alex. I didn't mean it like that but Tess is manipulating you. She knows how nice you are—'_ Alex saw what she was in the middle of writing and snatched the paper from under her pen. "You're just digging that hole deeper Liz." He whispered with venom.

"Alex—"

"No, don't talk to me." He stared straight ahead and continued to ignore her for the rest of the class period.

TBC

**Next chapter:** Alex, Alec, and Michael in gym. Liz tries to talk to Alex but he's ignoring her. Maria is praising God for a certain good fortune.

**Note:** I have about 9-10 more chapters left to post but I'll post those on Saturday and Sunday.


	22. Chapter 21

A.N. I promise there is a reason for Alex's hostility/anger, it might not come out for a few more chapters but there is a reason. Also some of the scenarios that were supposed to be happening in this chapter won't be happening till the next chapter, I had a couple of ideas/scenes that wouldn't fit later in the story. Enjoy.

**Chapter 21**

A shrill bell rang through the hallways of West Roswell High. One more class down. Alex gathered his belongings and left Liz in the room to deal with Max alone. He saw the teenager clearly stalling hoping to get a chat with her.

He realized he'd been curt with Liz about the whole Tess issue but his patience was wearing thin. When Tess first arrived she caused problems with Max and Liz. He understood why Liz wouldn't jump at a friendship with her. Their past alone gave them issues with trusting people. The difference between him and Liz was he didn't believe everyone had an agenda and could or would hurt them.

They were brought up in the same environment. Manticore. A dark place hidden in the shadows that caused him to still wake up on occasion in a cold sweat and thanking the Blue Lady he was out. Manticore stuck with him and probably always would.

He was able to adapt though, he stopped peeking around every corner, stopped being so cautious, and stopped doubting every person who tried to be his friend. Liz however didn't stop looking over her shoulder for something to happen.

Alex went by his locker and tossed his science books and binder in. He grabbed his gym clothes and made his way toward the gym. He passed one his band mates in the hall and high-fived him as he continued down to class.

Although he and Liz had been brought up in the same way they didn't have the same experiences. He was constantly protected by Liz both in and out of Manticore.

But he wasn't that little kid anymore that needed his big sister to fight his battles and protect him from people. Tess had only been talking to him because he took the first step and walked her to class. She wasn't seeking him out to do something for her. It hurt that Liz thought he was being stupid with the whole situation.

Entering the boy's locker room he went to an open locker and shoved his clothes in. Since it was the first day he wouldn't have to dress down but he still had to pick a locker and tell the teacher which locker number. He pulled out a lock and looped it through the holes securing his clothes.

Mentally taking down the locker number he started to leave the room and head toward the gym but stopped when Michael called his name out. Alex walked over to him.

"Hey," He greeted, "you're in this class?" He already knew Michael had that class with him, he found out when he went to change Liz's schedule.

"Yea. Don't need the PE credit but I'd rather do this than have a class with homework." Michael explained.

"I hear ya." Alex nodded. He waited in silence until Michael got his locker number and they left the locker room together. "Do you have any idea who the new teacher is for afternoon PE classes?"

Alex and Michael weren't the best of friends, they hardly talked outside the group meetings, and even then they tended to ignore the other. He didn't dislike Michael he just didn't think about him all that much.

"Nah, heard he teaches some other classes too but didn't catch the name or the classes." Michael said gruffly. In that short sentence he made it clear to Alex how much he hated small talk.

The only things the two talked about regularly were aliens, Maria, and Isabel. Every once in a while Liz would enter the conversation but usually that was in conjunction with one of the other three things they spoke to each other about.

There were four big signs around the gym, each with a class name. One for body building, one for swimming, one for dancing, and the last for general PE. Alex and Michael were in general PE.

The duo made their way over to where their class would meet. Three PE instructors came out from the lower offices. One went over to the swimming sign and waited for the rest of the students to arrive, another over to body building, and the last went to the dance class.

There was one more office upstairs next to the wrestling room and across the way from the entrance to the girl's locker room through way of the gym. That was the same office of the last gym teacher who got fired.

Michael stood with his arms crossed impatiently waiting for the class to begin. Alex saw a friend of his from previous computer classes and went over to talk to him. As he caught up with Ryan he noticed two adults walking down the stairs. Mr. Spencer his English teacher was also his PE teacher. The other man had to be an assistant to Mr. Spencer.

As Mr. Spencer got closer it struck Alex how familiar he looked. He hadn't noticed it during English because he was too busy paying attention to Liz's reaction to Mr. Spencer. Now that he got a good view of Alec Spencer a nagging feeling washed over him.

Where had he seen the teacher before? It couldn't have been recently he would have recognized his face easily. The not knowing was going to drive him insane until he could remember.

Across the room the dance class caught his attention. Some of the girls were on their school dance team and were stretching out catching the attention of more than just him. He tore his gaze away to look back at his friend who was still chatting with him.

When Ryan saw his class leaving the main gym without him he quickly said good-bye to Alex and ran to catch up. Alex went back over and stood by Michael waiting for the new teacher to start the session. The other two classes that were left in the gym split off into other areas, the body building went to the weight room down the hall from the gym and the dance class heading toward gymnasium B.

The teacher blew his whistle and got the attention of the remaining class. "Ok, this is P.E. 2, if that is not what's on your schedule you are clearly in the wrong class. So come on up and we'll see where you're supposed to be."

One student came up and Alec checked the schedule. "All right you're in body building which is out that door and to the left. There's a big sign out front, can't miss it." The student ran out of the gym and Alec turned to the others.

"Ok, next order of business. I'm your teacher Alec Spencer. Feel free to call me Alec but if that makes you uncomfortable Mr. Spencer is fine. Role call. Say here and raise your hand."

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"What are you doing in Auto shop?" Kyle mentally smacked himself, he shouldn't have asked the question, he should have ignored her and made it clear he didn't want to talk to anyone from the alien secret group.

When he saw her enter the room with her hair pulled back and nothing except a schedule he admitted he was curious. Then once he thought about it for a few seconds he got irritated. Did they send her there to watch him? They didn't trust him so they wanted her to keep an eye on him.

Liz folded her schedule and slipped it into her pocket. "To learn how to fix cars." She knew that wouldn't satisfy Kyle but it had to be enough.

"You don't exactly need this class." Kyle told her.

She narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"When we dated. Remember you'd sometimes sit and watch me work on Dad's car or my car?" He reminded her.

Liz nodded. "Yea I remember, what's the big deal?" Kyle wasn't making sense. Had she done something that showed her knowledge of car repair? It was a standard class given at Manticore. Never knew when the car you were driving would crap out.

"Even though you didn't say anything you clearly had some knowledge of fixing cars." He told her.

"How do you figure that?" She wouldn't admit to knowledge of anything until she knew exactly how much Kyle thought he knew.

Kyle sighed and leaned in closer to her. "When I'd mess something up, whatever it turned out to be you'd get an expression on your face. Like you knew I was wrong. At first I didn't really notice but then after the fifth or sixth time I made a mistake and you made the face it became clear that you weren't stupid when it came to car repair." He revealed. "So I ask again, what are you doing in auto shop? Are you here to watch me?"

TBC


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 **

"A little paranoid don't you think?" Liz questioned.

"There is no such thing as a little paranoid when it comes to the E.T. club." Kyle hissed low through clenched teeth.

Liz tilted her head in acknowledgement, she couldn't argue with him on that. "To answer your question, no. I am not here to keep an eye on you. I had no idea you had this auto shop period. The reason I'm here is because it's an easy 'A' and there is no way Max would look for me here."

"That's it?"

"Yes. There is no conspiracy to make sure you keep your mouth shut." She started to move to a free work station before turning back to Kyle. "And if there is one, I wasn't let into the loop."

A few minutes passed and more students entered the room. There was only one other girl in the room so far and she didn't look pleased to be in the class with a bunch of guys. She took a seat across from Liz but the two didn't speak to each other.

Kyle didn't give him self a chance to think over what he ended up doing. He took his schedule off the table, stood up and walked over to where Liz and the other girl sat.

Liz watched as he sat down next to her and twisted his body in the chair towards her. "Sorry about snapping at you."

"Thanks." She smiled. Both turned away and waited for the teacher to start.

RosDARosDARosDARosDA

During role call Alec made note of who he'd ask to go get the various rubber balls from the equipment room. Since it was the first day and no one had to dress down the class would be playing dodge ball. At Manticore his unit and others would regularly play the game.

The commanders would give the winning team a reward…they didn't get put in Psy-Ops or solitary. His unit only lost once and he made damn sure it never happened again.

At fifteen he had been appointed the commanding officer of his unit. After the escape of '09 Manticore stopped allowing children under the age of thirteen to be CO's. Being an alpha and the strongest of his unit, even at that age, put him front and center.

The dodge ball game was never for fun, neither were any other "games" played there. There was a purpose to everything. The first game with him in charge ended with his unit losing against a stronger group.

What Lydecker had him, then later his unit, put through in that room, along with extra training outside the room, made him obsessed with never losing like that again. It didn't matter if it was a reward or a punishment he either got it first or worse than any other members of his unit. He trained his team hard ever since. Besides that first game his unit never lost another of anything that required a winner and a loser, whether it was dodge ball or capture the prisoner.

Alec slid the pencil into the space on his clipboard. "Ok, this week is going to be fairly easy. Dressing down is not required this week, you certainly can if you have the clothes but you won't lose points for staying in street clothes." He explained.

So far that day he had given four classes the classic first day speech. The one he was currently giving was number five. And the final speech of the day was fast approaching, after this gym class he had one more, then he'd have to go to a brief info sharing at the Java Martian a fairly popular, yet out of the way place that served a 'multitude of coffee drinks and sweet tasty treats'…yea, he read the brochure.

"By Friday you'll need to give me the locker number you've chosen. Next Monday dressing down will be required. Every day you dress down, five points, when you participate that is another five points, making the total ten points that can be received a day. Any questions?"

A pretty dark haired blonde girl raised her hand. "I have a question Mr. Spencer."

"Yes?" By the gleam in the young teens eyes he could only imagine the kind of questions she had bubbling in her sexually charged mind.

Smirking she breathed deeply giving him a better view of her ample assets. "Will there be any way to receive…extra credit in this class?"

Alec smiled warmly at the girl, like he hadn't heard the double-entendre loud and clear. "No. There are only two ways to get points. Dressing down in gym clothes and participating in the activities of the day. Any other questions?"

No one spoke up. "All right then I'll need you, you and you." He pointed to Alex Whitman, Briony Chafer, and Marcus Lydell. "We're going to the equipment room. First half of the class we'll be playing dodge ball, last half is your choice."

With that Alec led the way to the equipment room. Unlocking the door he allowed the students to go in first. "Okay, you," He pointed to Briony.

"Briony." The girl volunteered her name; it was a common practice for her. Nobody seemed to remember her name; they always remembered Michelle but rarely her.

"Thank you, I'm getting you and your twin mixed up." Briony had a twin named Michelle that was in one of his advance English class. He handed her a mesh bag filled with a bunch of medium sized red rubber balls. "Take these out to the gym please. And you two," he pointed to Marcus and Alex, "Marcus take the basketballs and the volleyballs and Alex why don't you help me with the volleyball net."

"Ok." Marcus grabbed both bags filled with white and orange balls and left the room with Briony.

"How about you grab that end." Alec motioned toward the other pole. Alex nodded and walked over there. While his back was turned Alec used his keen eyesight to glance at his neck. Nothing.

He took one more moment to look closer; there couldn't just be no barcode on his neck. Alex Whitman was the one in the still from the security camera, he's the one Manticore was ninety-nine percent sure of.

Alec stopped staring at his neck right before his target turned around to face him. "Ok, on the count of three lift." Alec instructed. "One. Two. Three." Lifting it up the two walked carefully out of the room. Behind them the door to the equipment room slammed shut and locked.

"How's you're first day going so far?" Alec questioned. It wasn't a hard hitting question that would reveal if Whitman was an X5, namely X5-711, but it would open the door.

"Alright I guess. It's the first day; today and the last day are always the best days during school." Alex joked.

Cautiously they descended the stairs, "I understand the last day but why the first day?"

"Normally all that happens is learning what is going to go on in your classes. And it's rare that homework is given." He explained.

Alec and Alex set down the volleyball net. "Thanks for the help you three." He opened the bag filled with red balls. "Ok this is dodge-ball; the way you play is that you dodge. You get hit, you're out until someone from your team catches an incoming ball. Understand?" The students nodded. "I'll split you into teams." In moments he had them split up and throwing balls at each other.

RosDARosDARosDARosDA

Liz left auto-shop with barely a bye to Kyle, she had to hurry to the gym. Jogging at a steady pace she made it to the gym doors just as Alex walked through them. "Alex." She hated that her brother was upset at her. When they fought, they tended to fight hard.

Alex sighed, he knew he should stop and talk to her but he had a destination in mind and nothing would distract him from getting there. "Not right now Liz." His tone less curt then earlier in science class but it still held a coldness that left Liz shivering.

When the two fought neither really held back their anger. There were so many people they lied to and covered their true natures from that the only people brother and sister could be honest with about their emotions and everything else was each other. So they took full advantage of that.

Alex breezed by her and left her alone in the hallway. "Ugh!" Liz grunted out. A childish response was on the tip of her tongue but she stopped it before it left her mouth.

Michael came out of the double doors a second later spotting Liz. She nearly ran into him but her quick reflexes made her jump back before that happened. "Frustrated about something?"

"Yes." She frowned. "What do you want?"

"Am I bothering you?" He questioned.

"Somewhat." One good thing about Michael knowing a part of her secret was that she didn't have to pretend to be a sweet girl with him. The Jondy side to her wasn't mean at all just colder and blunter than the Liz side.

Michael rolled his eyes. "Well I don't care. Can we meet at the quarry?"

Quickly going over her schedule in her mind she nodded. "Yea but it'll have to be after ten. Won't be done with work till seven, then I have a bit of homework."

"Perfect, my shift at the Crashdown doesn't end till ten-thirty. I'll pick you up say ten-forty five." Since she lived right upstairs from where he worked it wouldn't be difficult to swing by.

"Fine." She agreed.

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Maria swung around the corner waving to a band member from the Whits. In two days they had a gig down at Big Pete's Tavern. She loved that the drinking age was lowered to sixteen. The new age limit gave the band more venues to play at.

As she continued down the hall toward the gym she spotted Michael, he was talking with Liz. Both nodded at each other before going their separate ways. Straightening her spine she walked by Michael like she didn't have a care in the world.

When he looked at her and said, "Hey Maria." She did a little victory dance in her head before returning the greeting. "Hello Michael." Maria didn't stop though and neither did he. Instead she went on her way toward Liz.

Once she got within arms length of Liz she whispered. "Was that too cold? Just saying 'hi' and not stopping?" She didn't feel the need to ask Liz about her chat with Michael, it was probably something about Max anyway.

"Too cold? No. I think it gives the impression that you're not pining." Liz comforted.

"Which is good, pining can be considered unattractive especially when the other is trying to move on." Maria nodded happily. "Saw Alex in the hall."

"Did he say anything?" Liz asked hopefully.

"Like what?" Maria didn't know what was going on with the siblings but the eagerness to know what he said caught Maria's attention.

Liz shrugged. "Anything?"

"No, actually he seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere. He barely waved to me. Weird." The two friends entered through the double doors of the gym neither brought their gym clothes, they'd bring them next time. "Oh thank you God." Maria smiled at the ceiling when they came in.

"What?" Liz looked in the direction Maria was pointing. No, he couldn't be a PE teacher too. She saw him walk near the sign for PE 2. Oh crap, Alec Spencer was [i]her[/i] PE teacher. Liz jutted her chin out in disbelief. The world was conspiring against her. It had to be. As if being in his English class wasn't bad enough now she was in another class he taught.

"Yes, the Gods are smiling on me. He's our teacher too." Maria was thrilled that she had a class with the stud-muffin teacher. She was a bit disappointed earlier when she found out Mr. Spencer only taught one regular level English class but it was only for freshman. Now she too would get to stare at the eye candy.

Liz shook her head. Well upside to whole scenario, she'd have some fun teasing him in the weeks to come. From across the room Alec lifted his head from his role call sheet and as if knowing she was there immediately locked eyes with her.

"Come on, let's go over there." Maria subtly dragged her by the arm and ignored Liz's gentle pulling trying to release her arm from her friend's grasp.

"Maria, I don't…" But Maria ignored her and within seconds she and her blonde friend were within two feet of Alec.

"Mr. Spencer." She was proud that her voice didn't shake.

"Miss Parker." Alec nodded briefly keeping his eyes glued to hers.

They stood there staring at each other with Maria looking on in confusion. Alec cleared his throat and excused himself for a second. When he was out of ear shot Maria turned to her. "Ok, you two so had a moment. Spill. What's going on?"

TBC


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

_Gym_

Liz watched after Alec, should she tell her friend the secret of her encounter with Mr. Spencer? Maria gave her a look that said she better and if she didn't there'd be hell to pay for decades to come.

"Don't even think about it." Maria cut off her friend's thoughts. "Something happened between you two. If the intense staring back and forth didn't convince me, the fact that you haven't denied it yet speaks volumes."

Nodding Liz agreed. "But not yet. I'll tell you when there aren't so many ears around."

"Promise? This isn't just a diversionary tactic to never tell me right?"

"Swear." She held out both hands with her pinky stuck out.

"Double, wow you are serious." Maria linked her pinkies with Liz's, a ritual from when they were younger. "Deal."

RosDARosDARosDA

As Alex made his way through the halls he rubbed at the back of his neck. He was tense from the arguing with Liz and his back ached all along his spine, like someone was squeezing the bones.

When he rounded the corner he spotted Isabel waiting by his locker for him. Although he was already walking quickly he pushed his legs to speed up even more. Before she could open her mouth to speak Alex moved in for a kiss.

Isabel, however, evaded his lips. "Not so fast Romeo." She teased. "We do that there's no way I'll get to the children's hospital on time…if at all." She worked three afternoons a week volunteering at the children's hospital, since she was a senior she had the option of not taking a seventh period which she didn't.

Alex stepped closer but kept his lips to himself, even if it was a struggle to do so. He wrapped his arms around her waist, linked his fingers together and lightly brushed his thumbs over the small of her back. "Are you sure I can't convince you?"

"I'd love to have you try but I really can't stay." She gave him a peck on the lips and scurried out of his arms before he could pull her closer and deepen the brief kiss.

Alex's head angled to the side as he stared at his girlfriend strut down the hall. Damn that woman had a fine ass. He watched for a few more seconds but couldn't anymore when she turned around and walked backwards.

"Stop looking at my butt and get to class." She smiled and left the school.

Once Isabel was out of sight Alex bashed his forehead against his locker and sighed. He closed his eyes and let the cold steel of the locker seep into his heated skin. Students continued to mill around the hall but he paid them little mind.

Breathing heavily he pushed away from the locker and opened it. He grabbed his backpack and started to fill it with the books he'd need that night to do what little homework he had. After computer class was over with he doubted he'd feel like going back to his locker, he'd just want to leave.

Entering his final class of the day he spotted Tess sitting in the last row of computer desks and sitting as close to the corner as possible. Alex waved to the teacher who smiled when she saw him. He'd taken so many computer classes over his first two years of high school that he gone through all the given courses that West Roswell High had to offer.

Now he still took computer classes but instead of having assignments it was his free period. If he was a senior he probably wouldn't take the class but being a junior he had to have seven classes scheduled. The teacher sometimes would ask him to help the other students if they had a problem or ask him to run a couple errands for her but other than that he could play solitaire for the entire class time and the teacher wouldn't give a crap.

A few times the computers crashed or the Internet went down…the Internet went down a lot actually. But the computers despite their age worked fine. He helped keep them in working order.

Alex made his way down the row and sat next to Tess startling her. Quickly she covered the book to her left and shot a surprised look at him. "Alex? I didn't know you had this class."

"Yea, it's my free period." He motioned toward the book she'd hidden. "What's that?"

Tess glanced at her jacket, which covered the Destiny Book from Alex's prying eyes. "Oh it's just something I'm translating." She smiled shyly at him.

"Is it that thing you got at the library when you went with Kyle?" Alex saw her expression and nodded. "Yes, I know about that."

Shrugging her shoulders Tess realized that it was futile to hide the book from him. She nodded and uncovered the Destiny Book letting him see it. "I've been trying to figure out what it says but it's not going very well."

"I can help you." He offered.

"Really? You'd help me?" Tess questioned.

"Sure why not? Besides it will give me something to do while in this class." Alex smirked and moved his chair a little closer to her. He reached across her and grabbed the book.

As he leaned close he got a whiff of the perfume she's wearing. Honeysuckle. An aroma that sent shockwaves through his system. Alex practically drooled when Tess's chest lifted and fell in time with her breathing. An innocent enough movement but her low-cut top didn't help the fantasy forming in his brain of diving into those soft creamy pillows and feasting on her gifts.

Slightly uncomfortable and guilty Alex pulled away from Tess and set the book between their computer stations. What was wrong with him today? Isabel, of course, got his motor revving no problem, and he'd always appreciated the female form and he looked often but kept his ogling discreet. Today though girls everywhere were driving him insane, he hadn't passed a girl today without thinking about banging her into the nearest locker—oh shit.

Sweat broke out on his forehead, he was going into heat.

TBC


	25. Chapter 24

A.N. This is an Alec/Liz centric chapter. Yay! It is a little shorter than I would have liked, I was hoping to add in the Liz/Alex part but it didn't work out that way. I hurt my wrist a couple days ago so it took forever to write this much.

**Chapter 24 **

_Gym_

Alec watched in appreciation as Liz spiked the volleyball. Several students on the other end of the gym were enjoying a game of dodge ball while others were enjoying playing volleyball.

Despite the lack of barcode on Alex Whitman's neck he knew that the boy was an X5. He was the guy on the security cameras, the one Renfro and Manticore were sure of. However there was another thing he was now sure of too.

Elizabeth Parker was an X5 as well. The way she moved he knew she was an X5 more importantly, X5-931. He had observed her close relationship with X5-711, the fact that she and Alex Whitman were neck and neck when it came to academics, now her perfect form in volleyball, and not to mention his strong attraction to her.

Alone those factors wouldn't raise red flags but together it spelled out that she was Alex Whitman's sister. That would mean she was with him during the Manticore attack. Although it would be awkward that he slept with his one of his targets that wouldn't stop him from performing the duty he was sent there to do.

Alec stepped over to his assistant and told him to take over for a few minutes. The assistant nodded and he went upstairs to his office.

Once he closed the door he pulled out his cell phone. Calling a number he knew by heart he waited until the person on the other end picked up. "It's me."

"Well?" The sharp voice asked.

"Target's have been found. Nearly 100% positive on that." He told her.

Silence. "What's keeping it from being 100%?" She questioned.

"Although everything has pointed to it being X5-711 and X5-931 there are still some anomalies that need to be answered before I am completely certain." Alec explained.

"Well then you shouldn't have called until you were certain. Or have waited until this afternoon at the meeting." Without a goodbye she hung up the phone leaving Alec with a dial tone.

Glaring Alec shut his cell phone. "Bitch."

"I'd hate to be the person on the other end of that phone call." An amused voice told him from the now open door to his office. "With a look like that I'd have a burned hand from the phone being so hot."

"Miss Parker." Alec searched her expression closely. How much of that conversation had she heard? Well, she wasn't slamming him into a wall demanding answers so he took that as a sign of she hadn't heard what he had been saying.

Liz rolled her eyes. "I think we're passed the Miss Parker, Mr. Spencer stage." She licked her lips bringing Alec back to the night they spent together. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." He watched her step past the threshold and into the suddenly smaller room. "What do you want to discuss?"

Liz shut the door and turned back to him. "Just one thing. You can't keep staring at me the way you are down there." She felt his gaze on her ever since the class began.

"Does it bother you?" Alec smirked not denying that he was staring at her.

"No it doesn't." She told him. "However if you don't want people to think you're a pervert then you might want to lay off the lusty stares. After all I am seventeen…"

"Thought that didn't bother you?" Although since he's sure Liz was X5-711's sister she sure as hell wasn't seventeen, more like twenty-one. What made it funny was that she was pretending to be younger than him when really she was older than him. Not by much only a week, but still older.

"It doesn't. Actually I like it. But it would bother the school board. Why do you think the last gym teacher was fired?" Liz teased.

Alec took a deep breath then stepped closer to her shrugging one shoulder. "Then I guess we'll have to be more discreet."

Liz shook her head. "Wait a minute. Just a few classes ago you were pushing me away. What's changed?"

"You said that when I was ready to play to let you know." Alec reminded her. When he was within arms length of her he wrapped an arm around her waist bringing her flush against him. "I'm ready to play." He whispered huskily.

"This next year is going to be very interesting then." Liz smiled. "So since you want to play what are the rules?"

"First," Alec leaned down and began to nuzzle the exposed skin on her neck, "no one can find out about this. As you said that would cause problems." He kissed the side of her neck enjoying the hitch in her breath. "Second no one can see us out together."

Liz shut her eyes and took pleasure in the sensual kisses he continued to lavish on her neck and shoulder. "What about while we're in school?"

She gripped his strong shoulders lightly. "I'll come up with something." He promised. Alec, after one more kiss, lifted his face from the curve of her neck. "Deal?"

"Deal." Liz agreed.

Without skipping a beat Alec put his fingers under her chin and angled her neck just enough to kiss her lips without bending down too much. In seconds the room was silent except for the sound of lips meeting and soft moans of approval.

Renfro wanted more proof that Liz and Alex were their two targets and she'd get it. If he had to play along with Liz to get the proof he needed then he would. It didn't mean he wouldn't enjoy every bit of his time with Liz but this was his job, he was trained to get the information his superiors sought. Then why did he feel guilty.

The woman he held in his arms didn't know he was from Manticore, didn't know he was sent there to bring her and her brother back. All Liz knew was that he was a man who was interested in her, a man who desired her, and boy did he. Liz didn't see the ulterior motive behind the desire and passion and it made him feel guilty that his seduction of her was tainted by his duty.

TBC


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Liz pushed back the strands of hair that came loose from her ponytail. She had her cell phone pressed to her ear and was making her way through the side alley toward the stairs leading to her home. The female robotic voice spoke the same words in her ear for the third time. "Dammit Alex."

She sprint up the stairs and opened the door. Frustrated she put the phone back in her pocket. If Alex didn't want to talk to her then fine, she'd give him hell tomorrow but it was fine.

After her impromptu make out session with Alec that afternoon in the gym, which, frustratingly enough only lasted a few minutes because of the knock on his office door, she went back downstairs to where the rest of the students were still engaged in sport activities. Maria saw her come down the stairs and only smirked at her before focusing again on the volleyball game.

When class finished Liz promised Maria that tomorrow night she could come over and Liz would tell her what exactly was going on with her and Alec. That afternoon however Liz was busy working her last day at the Crashdown. Next week she'd start her job with Congress Woman Whitaker. Then to top it all off with the homework assignments she received that day and meeting with Michael that night she wouldn't have time for a proper girl chat until tomorrow.

Liz tossed her backpack on the chair in the living room. She'd watch some TV while she worked on her homework, it'd make the boring task pass by a little quicker.

She went to the kitchen and poured a glass of milk. An hour before her shift started, what would she do until then? Maybe she'd practice her flips on the balcony edge…a little danger would keep her awake for another nine hours.

Liz made her way towards her room when she heard a noise coming from the same direction. She paused. It wasn't her parents, she saw them downstairs taking care of the restaurant. Could be any one of her friends, they tended to stop by when she least expected. It could also be someone far more dangerous to her and Alex, which wasn't the kind of danger she was after.

Setting down the glass she tiptoed her way to the bedroom she opened the door and thankfully found Alex. The irritating little brother that wouldn't pick up his phone. However before she got out a sarcastic comment she saw why he was there.

"Hey, didn't think you'd mind." Alex wrung his hands together.

"You're right, I don't. So was this why you were all pissy today?" She knew it was but she needed him to say it.

Alex nodded and ran a shaking hand through his sweaty head. "Can you close the door?" He asked as he sat on her bed.

"Sorry." She did as he asked. The smells from the house hit him like a freight train, especially the smell of at least one available and ready female that had been up in the house a few hours ago. Normally her home was safe for Alex to go to when he was in heat, she was his sister and there for unavailable and her mother wasn't able to have children so she didn't drive Alex crazy. But today the bathroom for the Crashdown wasn't functional for an hour and customers had to use the upstairs bathroom in the apartment.

Unfortunately for Alex that included a couple of females that were able to breed. It drove her brother up the wall. She was the same way with men when she was in heat.

"Why did the bathroom downstairs have to be non-functional today?" Alex growled.

"Don't ask me." She got on the bed next to Alex and wrapped an arm around his back rubbing muscles tense from trying to control the heat.

"I'm sorry I was such an ass to you about Tess." He apologized.

Liz smiled. "I'm sorry I was such a bitch about Tess." Alex laid his head down on her shoulder and concentrated on breathing in and out calmly.

"Part of it was the heat. I was getting protective of her because I saw her as a potential breeder." He explained. "But the other part—I just don't get why you and Maria are so mean to her, she's trying to get by, like we all are. The heat just made something that would have been a minor irritant into a much bigger one."

Liz nodded and sighed. "I know you can take care of yourself Alex. I know you don't need me to protect you from every little thing. I can't help it though." She admitted to him. When he didn't speak she continued. "I don't trust Tess. I may be a hundred percent wrong about her but I can't see you hang around her and not say anything. Not watch her for any sign that I'm right."

Although his first reaction was to argue he didn't. Instead he asked. "Have you seen any sign that you're right about her?"

"Besides the fact that Manticore would love her? No."

Alex thought about what she said. Yes, Manticore would love Tess. She'd be perfect for what they wanted. Beautiful, focused, and not afraid to use her sexual wiles to get what she wanted. Even though Tess wasn't one who could blend in easily that would have been fine. There were plenty of gorgeous X5's and blending in wasn't their forte either.

"Other than that you haven't seen anything though?"

"Nope." She would have loved to have said 'yes' but she hadn't seen anything besides the typical alien stuff. Liz saw Tess with the Destiny Book a few times and figured she was trying to read it. She saw Tess trying to warm Max, Isabel, and Michael up to her. And she occasionally saw her and Nasedo talking together but none of that raised red flags.

Alex sighed, even though he didn't agree with Liz's hate and suspicion of Tess, he was aware enough to realize that some of his instincts might be clouded by the heat that came upon him.

"Listen, if you want I can shut my mouth about Tess…at least in front of you." She offered.

"No, it's fine. Just try to be civil at least to her." Alex asked.

Liz breathed in and slowly exhaled. "Ok. I can try." She promised. "But this doesn't mean I'm going to stop watching her and looking out for you."

"Wouldn't expect you too." He smiled and moved out of her arms to lie back on the stack of pillows behind him.

"So when did you realize that you were in heat?"

Alex chuckled. "This isn't going to make you like Tess anymore than you do already." Liz remained silent and waited for him to continue. "We were in computer class and I offered to help her with the Destiny Book. I leaned over to grab said book and lets just say I was eyeing her assets…a lot more than I normally would, then I realized that I had been eyeing a lot of women all day and practically every woman I came across I wanted to pound her into the lockers for a few hours."

"Eww." She regretted asking her question. It was one thing to know her brother had a sex drive it was another to hear about it.

"You asked." He laughed out loud.

"That I did and I regret it." She told him.

Alex draped his arm over his eyes covering them from the sunlight outside. "Speaking of things we regret. What's up with you and the English teacher?"

"Excuse me?"

"The interaction between the two of you during class. Him telling you to stay after so he could talk to you. Plus the fact that I've never seen you that nervous or that excited over a guy before. All adds up to something happened. Do I need to kick his ass?"

"No, don't you dare." Although she appreciated his willingness to protect her honor it wasn't necessary. "Do you remember the morning I came home a few days ago and you were here?" Alex nodded but kept quiet. "He's the guy I met."

"Non-heat guy?"

"Yea. I didn't realize he was a teacher and he didn't realize I was a student, let alone his student." She explained.

"Awkward. No wonder he looked like he swallowed a Buick." He started laughing as he visualized Mr. Spencer's face the second he saw Liz.

"Oh shut up." She picked up a pillow and hit him in the stomach with it. "It's not funny." Even as she said that though her mouth turned up at the sides.

"This is going to be a very interesting school year big sister." Alex predicted.

TBC

Next Chapter: Alec gives an X-5 information to give to their mutual boss, but he leaves something out. Liz's last official day at the Crashdown.

Note: 5 more updates before this is up to date. Should be posting the rest on Sunday.


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

_Java Martian; 4:00 p.m._

"So how is everything going?" The dark haired transgenic male, from his own unit, that sat across from him questioned.

Alec took a sip from his real coffee. "As good as can be expected." Java Martian was the only place in Roswell that served honest to god coffee. All other restaurants and drink establishments served the synthetic crap.

"I'm going to need to tell her more than that." X5-342 chuckled.

Alec nodded, silently agreeing with Randal Smythe as he was to be called while in Roswell. He was glad his friend and unit buddy was the one who showed up at Java Martian. Although he was a little surprised considering his other assignment with the recently recaptured 09' escapee.

"Progress is going at a steady pace. I've made contact, with both targets." Alec shrugged. Besides the new plan to get closer to X5-931, Liz, there was no change or mission related surprises that popped up.

Randal finished off the muffin in front of him. It wasn't often he got out of Manticore and was able to have civilian food. He planned on taking advantage of that while he was away from the base. "How sure are you with who they are?" He wiped his hands on his black cargo pants.

"Fairly sure. Obviously with 711 we have a picture. There was an issue today though. He didn't have the identifying mark, but that could be because he had a treatment a couple days ago and this is in the few days where there's no mark." Many of the escapee's and even those out on assignments would have laser treatment to get the barcode on the back of their neck removed for a short time. For the first two days there was redness where the barcode used to be then there was a few days between the times they have laser work done and when the barcode returns where the skin was completely intact and bare. No redness and no trace of a barcode.

"What about the other?" Randal pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He didn't smoke but while in Roswell his alias did.

"Again, fairly certain. She moves like us, she is right up there in the top of her class category, right behind the guy in academics, clearly close to him, one issue is that I haven't seen a mark but again that could be because of treatment." She didn't have a barcode when he first met her and slept with her. That night he definitely would have noticed if she had one.

"Despite that you're sure?"

"Nearly a hundred percent. The only things that are stopping me from being solid are the mark issues and they are in the same grade and are listed as having the same ages."

"Doesn't mean it's not them. How many of us have various birthdays listed?" Randal pointed out and drank the coffee in his hand. "Well, it's more than was expected this early. She'll be satisfied…for now."

"So enough about my stuff. Why did she send you? I thought were busy with the new resident?" Alec smirked.

"I was, still am. Renfro is pleased…somewhat with my progress with her." Randal shrugged.

"Want to elaborate on that?" He prodded.

With all the samples destroyed, Manticore had to go a different route with getting new children to break and teach into adult hood. Breeding partners were all the rage now in Manticore. It could be fun; it could also be some of the worst experiences of their lives. It depended on how you looked at it.

"The girl's hostile. She tried to kick my ass when I went into her room."

Alec laughed. "I told you, the girls from the outside are feisty."

"Eventually she calmed down. We've done our duty a couple times but nothing to show for it yet. Renfro was surprised I got her to yield so easily…however if she was in the room with us there was little ease about it." He had to talk to her and listen to her a lot. Most of the females in Manticore wouldn't need to talk or need him to listen, they'd know their duty and do it, but not 452, she needed conversation and a connection. He fought the urge to roll his eyes. She couldn't shut up about a guy named Logan, which almost killed his mood.

"So why'd she let you out if things are progressing well?" He wondered aloud.

"Renfro put her in the hole. Max, that's her name, talked back and of course Renfro can't be seen as weak especially since she's so new. She's going to be in there for a few days." He took another drink. "She even gave me a name."

"Really what?" Alec asked, this should be interesting.

"Biggs." He smirked.

Alec stared at his friend for a moment before saying, "Do I even want to know how she chose that name for you?"

"Let's just say I impressed her."

"Apparently so." He finished up his food and coffee. "How long are you going to be in town for?"

"Until the boss calls me back. Which will probably be in the next couple days." They both stand from the booth and make their way outside. "Is there anything else that I need to tell the boss?"

Sure, that he started a hot affair with the female target and he could hardly wait to see her tomorrow in his classes. While on missions Manticore didn't necessarily frown on sex as long as it didn't get in the way, however sleeping with part of the mission, completely different story. Oh yea, that would get his ass reassigned or chewed out. Either way Alec figured he'd keep that little tidbit to himself.

"No, that's it. We'll get together before you leave. Talk to you later." Alec waved and went to his car.

"You too." Randal…Biggs, followed suit and both drove off in opposite directions.

RosDARosDARosDA

_Crashdown Café; 5:15 p.m. _

"I can't believe this is your last day." Maria stated.

Liz couldn't believe it either. She had been working at the Crashdown for the last three years. At first only doing little jobs here and there but then she moved up to waitressing, then ordering food and supplies for the restaurant, and now sometimes she'd manage the place when Dad and Mom were out of town.

"It feels weird. I'm not going to be working here anymore." She paused then added. "Unless Dad's in a bind and needs another waitress or something."

Michael, from behind the grill, growled at the chattering girls. "Would you two stop chit-chatting, you got orders to give out."

Maria walked up to the window and looked at the basket of food. "No cheese on that one." She pushed it back at him.

Liz watched them glare at each other. She'd miss these daily squabbles they got into. Hmm, she might have to get the two of them to argue at school just so she could get her daily dose of it. Liz snorted at her insane thought.

"Maybe if you wrote clearer I could get it right." Michael shot back.

"My writing is fine. Deal with it." She argued.

Then again the arguing did get old rather quickly. "Guys." She sighed out. "Less arguing, more grilling." Liz saw a family come in for dinner. She left Maria and Michael alone to greet them and took them to an empty booth. She quickly took their drink orders and left them to read over the menu.

When she returned Maria was staring at her strangely. "Was Michael found in your room a couple mornings ago?" Her friend questioned.

"Yea but where did that come from?"

Maria pointed behind her toward the swinging door. "Your Dad just came out of his office and wanted to talk to Michael. I didn't hear everything but I heard enough to know that Michael was in your room really early in the morning."

Sometimes she wondered if Maria was an X5 as well, she heard almost everything. Liz went through her mental filing cabinet of excuses; she couldn't tell Maria the lie she told her father about Michael being there because that would make Maria think Michael wanted to get back together with her. Although that could be very true she had no idea so she didn't want to give Maria false hope. So instead Liz went with a different lie. One that would make sense but that wouldn't be about Maria and her relationship with Michael.

"Yea he was there. Woke my ass up and out of a good dream mind you. He was doing his normal rounds to see if everything was all right." Maria knew of Michael's desire to keep everyone he knew safe. So occasionally he would go out and check up on Maria, Alex, Tess, Max, Isabel, and her. Neither Liz nor Maria would be surprised if eventually he added Kyle and Sheriff Valenti on his security watch.

"With you and you're X5-ness you'd have woken up to a bird on your balcony. Not surprised alien lead feet over there woke you up." Maria mentioned.

Liz nodded. "Pretty much it. I invited him in once he realized I was awake and we talked for a couple minutes, then Dad came in and saw Michael there. Grilled us both on why he was there and then didn't leave the room until Michael did."

"You know normally I'd be worried for Space Boy having to deal with your Dad but he's had to battle my Mom so he's been through worse parental interrogations."

Liz breathed a mental sigh of relief. Just like that Maria was ok with Michael being caught in her best friend's room early in the morning.

She wished she could tell Maria that the reason Michael was really there was to talk to her about being trained and to learn how to fight like she did. Unfortunately because she told Michael that there were no other transgenics and that no one else, at least in their group, knew of her X5 status that would cause a problem when Maria went up to him and started talking to him about her.

Keeping all the lies straight could be exhausting; she should really look into telling the truth and nothing but the truth. It'd cause problems galore but at least it would be one less thing to worry about. But since she didn't see herself doing that anytime soon, lying it is.

Before Maria could go off to grab the correct order that Michael put on the window she stopped her friend. There was one more thing Maria needed to be aware of. "Just a warning, don't go near Alex till tomorrow sometime."

"How come? Is he ok?" Maria's voice became a little high-pitched, immediately concerned for her other best friend.

"Yea, he's going to be fine. He's just in heat at the moment." She whispered. "You'd be a tasty morsel to his fired up male hormones."

"You know he's the only male I know that has an excuse for being a horn dog...or horn cat." Maria joked. She had only been around once when Alex was in full blown heat. She had come over to hang out and Liz forgot to call her to let her know about Alex. She walked into the bedroom and Alex was up from the bed and taking her in his arms trying to kiss her neck, when she pushed Alex away from her he apologized profusely, while still ogling her. It, understandably, freaked her out for a couple days until Liz explained that Alex couldn't help it.

"He's up in my room so just steer clear of the apartment." Liz said.

"Gotcha." With that Maria went to the window, took the food Michael placed on top and brought it to her table.

Again the bell above the door jingled and Liz almost groaned with annoyance when she saw who it was. Of course he would show up on her last night working, thankfully Max was with his family tonight, unfortunately there were only two tables available that could fit the family of four, both in her section. Did Max plan that out so he could be served by her? Of course he did, the Blue Lady above was conspiring against her, She had to be.

TBC

Next Chapter: Michael and Liz out in the desert.


	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27 **

_Desert; 11:59 p.m._

It was pitch black out that night. No moonlight to speak of, only a smattering of stars and that wasn't enough light for Michael to see what he was doing. She could see fine of course but that would have given her an unfair advantage. Which was fantastic when in a fight for her life but when training it wasn't a good idea.

For light Michael left on the headlight to his motorcycle and she left on the headlights to her Dad's truck. It gave them enough light to train easily.

Although Michael had only been training with her a couple times she could tell he had a natural ability for hand to hand combat. To be honest it impressed her how far he'd come within two lessons.

She was thankful that she got to let out some of her frustrations while training with Michael. Her last day as an official Crashdown waitress had ended less than fantastically. After the Evans family showed up she had to show them to a table in her section. Isabel was cool, thankfully not as icy as Liz thought she would be, to her as she ordered her drink but Max was annoying. He asked her what kind of beverages they had when he knew exactly what they had since he was always at the Crashdown.

Then if that wasn't bad enough Maria informed her that Alex knew Isabel was there. Apparently Alex could sense her…more likely smell her through the vents. She wore a very distinct perfume that Alex would recognize anywhere. Her little brother had been opening and shutting the door to her bedroom for the last two minutes and Maria heard.

It took Liz a good thirty minutes to get Alex to calm down and stay on her balcony. Being outside would protect him from Isabel's unknowing call and continue to protect their transgenic secret. She even threatened to tie him up to the ladder so he couldn't run amok downstairs. The threat wasn't very threatening because Alex could get out easily but he was so deep in his heat, and would be for the next twelve to twenty-four hours, he didn't realize how futile the threat was.

After she got Alex secured on her balcony she went back down to finish her last day. She had hoped it would be smooth sailing from there but it wasn't. Kids spilled faux milkshakes all over the floor, one waitress slipped and broke her tailbone, Max took almost twenty minutes deciding what he wanted only to order the same damn thing he normally had, and then he spent almost an hour eating the meal once it arrived.

Maria offered to take over the table after the fifth time Liz was signaled by Max for a refill of his cherry coke or more ketchup or more mustard or to send back his burger to have mayo put on it. She knew Max must have done some alien thing to empty the ketchup and mustard bottles because both waitresses had spent the half hour before their shift refilling those bottles. There was no way they would have been empty in an hour without some alien mojo.

Although she appreciated the offer Liz declined, she wouldn't give her former boyfriend the satisfaction of knowing he was irritating her. It would drive him insane to realize that he didn't get her worked up anymore, in any way. No, that spot was reserved for Alec now.

Now Michael and Liz were releasing anger that had been stored up throughout the day by kicking each other's ass for the last hour when suddenly Michael disrupted the rhythm. "I don't want to get back together with Maria."

"What?" Liz dropped her fighting stance for a split second and Michael got a good solid punch to her cheek. Her head whipped to the side and she groaned more in irritation than pain but pain was there in spades too.

"Shit, are you all right?" Michael broke out of his stance, worried he'd hurt her severely, and hurried over to her slightly bent form.

Seeing her moment to bring Michael down Liz crouched low and swept his legs out from under him knocking him onto his back. To make sure he stayed down at least for the moment she rolled over onto his splayed body straddling his upper legs. "Another point for me." She smirked down at the large alien boy underneath her.

"You're good." He reluctantly admitted.

Liz laughed. "Of course I am." Michael made a move to get up but Liz pushed him back down. "What's this crap about not wanting to get back with Maria?" She jumped right to the point. "Was that just some comment to distract me or are you serious?"

"Both."

Liz crossed her arms staring down at him and focused on the serious part. "And why's that?" Liz felt anger toward the boy beneath her. How dare he not want to get back together with Maria? She was insulted on her friend's behalf.

"We're not compatible. It's better for both of us if we don't get started up again." Michael explained again trying to remove Liz from his waist. However he underestimated her strength and persistence.

Frustrated that he wouldn't stay down she tightened her thighs around his hips and gripped his wrists holding them down against the dusty floor of the desert. He wasn't going anywhere until she was finished.

"Parker I didn't know you were into this domination kind of thing." He smirked up at her.

Anyone passing by the duo at that moment could have easily mistaken the hold as something sexual. However despite her slight sexual interest towards Michael the hold wasn't for fun. "You have no idea what I'm in to." She lobbed back. "Now you do realize letting me know about your lack of interest in being with Maria again puts me between a rock and a hard place."

"How do you figure that?"

"Maria's my best friend. If she starts talking about you or expresses interest in getting back together it's my job as the best friend to tell her exactly what you told me. However if I do that not only do I hurt Maria, which would kill me to do, I'd have to tell her how I came about this piece of information."

Michael shrugged as best he could with his arms over his head and in Liz's hands. "I don't see the problem, tell her that we were talking and it slipped out."

At that Liz released Michael's wrists and sat back up. "How gullible do you think she is?" She hooked her hands onto her hips. "You want me to tell Maria that you let it slip out? You, the guy who is the Fort Knox of secrets? Plus not to mention that Maria is already looking at us suspiciously."

"How suspiciously?"

"You dragged me into Eraser Room, which granted I smoothed over but it didn't exactly win you or me, for that matter, trust points." Liz started off.

"But you smoothed that over." The two were linking arms and laughing up a storm at lunch.

"Yes because Maria knows I wouldn't go after you—"

Michael scoffed, "What do you mean you wouldn't go after me?" That was rude. Just up and tell someone that you wouldn't even try to get with them. "Aren't I go-afterable?"

"Listen I think you're cute, in fact you're delightfully do-able. If Maria wasn't in the picture I'd have given you a few test drives by now. I even like you Michael…when you're not being an asshole. But I don't love you. Maria knows I'd never risk our friendship on 'like'." Liz quickly explained.

"Oh. Ok then." That was better than being completely uninterested. "So what else have we done to cause her to look at us with suspicion?"

Liz stood up from her spot on his legs and helped him up from the dusty ground. "She heard Dad mention you in my room one morning really early."

Michael grimaced. "Crap." That girl had bionic ears. She heard everything. "By the way, your Dad? Kinda scary."

She laughed. "Which speech did he give you? The 'You hurt my baby girl I'll rip out your fingernails one by one' speech or the 'I better not catch you in my little girl's room again or they'll never find your body' speech?"

"A combo." He admitted. "I will never be alone in your room without an escort." He replied in a monotone voice.

"Don't worry so much. If Dad didn't like you, you'd have gotten a much more graphic speech about mangled body parts and hours upon hours of torture." Liz shrugged. Her hair challenged friend got off light in comparison to Max and he hadn't even been in her room alone to get that speech, all Max had done was pick her up for a date. "Listen let's cut the training short today. I gotta get home and get some sleep before school tomorrow…today, whatever."

"Thought you didn't need much sleep." Michael commented as they walked toward their vehicles.

"Usually don't but it's been a long, tiring day. I need a couple hours." She told him.

Michael was tempted to ask what but he didn't think she'd tell him. Although she had been fairly candid with whom she was and where she came from he knew she was hiding things. It bothered him but he wouldn't pry.

"See you tomorrow." Michael put his helmet on and revved his motorcycle engine taking off just as Liz started her Dad's truck up.

In the car Liz opened the glove compartment and watched as Michael took off down the road back towards town. Thank the Blue Lady he didn't argue with her about cutting training short. Yes, she was tired and needed sleep but more than that she needed her tryptophan pills. Her hands shook slightly as she poured out five pills into the palm of her left hand. She'd stay there for a few minutes while the pills took effect, she locked the truck doors and closed her eyes leaning against the head rest.

You'd think an organization that specialized in gene research and the like would be able to catch the flaw that was in her and a few other transgenics DNA. Maybe Manticore left it in as a punishment, as if they weren't punished enough in that place. Finally after a few minutes the shakes stopped and she left the desert heading for home.

TBC


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

_September 5; 6:28 a.m.; Roswell High Parking Lot_

Liz ran through the almost vacant parking lot of the high school. Nobody came to school this early, not even the teachers, in this post-pulse era. Most teachers didn't show up till ten minutes before classes start. So why was she running into the school like Lydecker was on her trail? Simple, Alec.

After getting a much needed two hours of sleep last night, after Michael's training session, she got a call on her cell phone from Alec. He wanted her to meet him at the school at six thirty that morning.

When he asked her to see him that morning her heart started to pound, she wouldn't have been surprised if Alec heard those thumps loud and clear over the phone. He didn't even have to ask more than once, she said yes immediately.

Once they hung up she could hardly stand still. Waiting for clock to reach six in the morning was killer. Alex had already left her room, his heat under control and he was thankfully a normal horny boy again…as normal as those could be anyway, so she didn't have anyone to talk to.

Desperate to keep busy and her mind off of what was to come that morning, she cleaned her room and bathroom so they were spotless, and she also organized her book shelves and her desk drawers. Until finally the clock reached six. She ran out of the apartment so fast she barely came up with a good excuse for going to school so early.

When she was half way to the school she called Maria and let her know that she wouldn't need a ride. After she told her that Maria, of course, asked why, since it was rare that they didn't go to school together. Instead of telling her friend the truth about her hot and sexy teacher/student love affair she lied and told Maria that because Alex had been with her most of the night she needed to get the exercise, that she didn't get yesterday, in.

Now, there she was entering the side doors of the school and making her way to Alec's classroom. As she turned the corner she saw the door to Alec's room was closed. Was he there yet?

She slowed her pace before stopping in front of the door. Was he in the room waiting? Or maybe he changed his mind and was blowing her off?

Liz didn't have much time to ponder either option because the door to the classroom opened up and she was quickly dragged inside. Familiar lips crashed down onto her own and any worries she had flew away.

RosDARosDARosDARosDA

He pulled Liz close and deepened the kiss he initiated. She tasted so sweet.

Alec had heard her hurried footfalls down the hallway and the almost sudden stop just steps away from his classroom door. Although they hadn't known each other for very long he already could tell that she was a worrier. The way she constantly gnawed on her lower lip yesterday after finding out he was her teacher made that perfectly clear.

He lavished attention on that lower lip that had caught his interest. He couldn't count how many times he wanted to take that lip and gently kiss away those bite marks she placed on them.

When he called her that morning it had been after hours of picking up the phone and putting it back down. He mentally smacked himself repeatedly wondering why he was behaving like a fifteen year old boy asking a girl out on his first date.

All morning until he placed that phone call that brought her down here he wondered, would it be right to call her to come meet him that morning before school? He knew the people at Manticore, if they approved of his plan, which was unlikely, would want him to hurry the seduction along but he didn't want to scare her off. He wanted to spend time with her, was looking forward to seeing her that day in his classroom and if he was being honest with himself it had nothing to do with Manticore.

Alec groaned softly as he felt her delicate arms tighten around his shoulders and bring her softer body closer to his harder frame. After a little while they pulled back and took deep breaths filling their lungs with much needed oxygen.

"So, do you kiss all your teachers like that?" He smiled naughtily.

She raised her gaze to his, "Just the hot ones." She teased.

He laughed low in his throat. "And how many, hot teachers do you have?"

Liz stood up on her tip toes and kissed him gently. "Just you…and Mr. Seligman. He's a major dream boat. Any guy who talks that much about science…" She purred.

He pulled back a bit more. Wait what? He looked down at her and the expression on her face was completely dead pan. Who was this Mr. Seligman? He hadn't met all the teachers on his first day; he definitely hadn't met any Mr. Seligman. And was she really kissing him or was she just teasing him. Instead of questioning her he by passed that subject.

"Do you want to go somewhere for lunch today?" Maybe if he changed the subject he wouldn't want to hurt the other man, who quite possibly was a challenger for Liz's attention.

RosDARosDARosDARosDA

Liz saw the spark of jealousy flash across his green eyes. Has Alec even met Seligman? Apparently not if he was worried about her kissing the science teacher.

She probably should have eased his insecurity but she decided not too. She had to admit she wanted to see his face when he realized she was just teasing…after he saw Mr. Seligman of course.

"Where do you want to go?"

"Well, I am new in town and I don't think we should be having lunch in town where anyone could see us and cause a huge problem for us. So where would you suggest?"

"If we had a longer lunch I'd suggest the quarry. It's a nice out of the way spot that hardly anyone goes too." Except of course for her group of friends when they had alien business to discuss and deal with. But thankfully the quarry was big enough that they would be able to find a spot that the others wouldn't see them in if they went to the quarry as well.

"Hmm and where would we be eating lunch on that quarry visit?" Alec questioned as he kissed her ear lobe.

Liz giggled as he nibbled softly down the column of her neck. "Oh so you really want to go eat somewhere?"

"I knew it. You only want me because I'm hot." He leaned back and stared down at her as if disappointed. "I don't even get lunch. Just straight to the sex, no talking at all." He shook his head sadly.

She smiled and chuckled without out making a sound. "Oh, ok." Two could play at that game. Let's see how much he loved talking to her over making out because honestly that's all she wanted to do right now. Liz released her arms from around his neck and ran her hands down his biceps and down to his elbows and took his hands off her body.

"What are you doing?" He asked confused.

"Well you want to talk. So let's talk. Where did you grow up?" She raised an eyebrow, he wanted to talk, so that's what they'd do, and then they'd make out.

She stepped away from him, swaying her hips just a bit and sat on his desk crossing her legs demurely. Liz clasped her hands together and rested them on her knee as if she was an interviewer on television ready to conduct the interview of the century.

Alec put his hands on his waist and nodded. "Ok, I see what you're doing."

"What? You said you wanted to talk. So talk and I'll listen." She sat up straight trying not to smirk but she couldn't stop the muscles in her lips from forming that sarcastic curve.

Alec came up to her and put his hands flat on the desk on the side of her hips. "In that case, I grew up in Michigan till I was about twelve, then my family and I moved to Texas for a couple years, and lastly we moved to Washington. How about you, have you always lived in Roswell, New Mexico? Alien capital of the world."

RosDARosDARosDARosDA

Alec knew she hadn't lived there all her life. There was no way she could have if she's who he thought she was. But he wanted to see how well she lied. She'd been out of Manticore for about ten years; she couldn't be nearly as accomplished as lying as him. Constantly going on missions and being taught by Manticore honed those skills till no one could lie better than him.

To his utter surprise though, she was just as good. "Most of my life. There was a brief stay in Arizona for about six months and of course my almost mandatory visits every summer to Florida to stay with my aunt but other than that I've lived in Roswell all my life. Basically your typical small town girl."

"So you're a typical small town girl who goes to bars, regularly enough to have the bartender know what you drink, and sleep with a random amazingly hot guy who happens to be your new teacher and gives him a fake name?" He teased her.

Without missing a beat Liz nodded. "Yep. That's what all of us small town girls are doing now a days. It's whole big thing." She leaned in and kissed him. Her eyes flared with naughtiness. "Are we done talking now?" She whispered.

"For the moment." Talking could be done later, when they had more time…and when she wasn't looking so irresistible.

TBC


	30. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

_7:50 a.m.; Roswell High Hallway_

"Maria!"

Maria heard her name being shouted through the school hallway, and if the desperation in the tone was any indication, it was Max wanting to talk. She stopped and turned.

"Yes Max?" The two had bonded over the summer. It's hard not to bond when most of your friends are out of town, in the case of Alex and Liz, or when your boyfriend breaks up with you before the summer even officially started. However, despite the closeness that grew between them, she was still Liz's best friend and that meant Max got a bit of coldness when talking to her.

Max came to a stop in front of her, and she noticed how his eyes roamed the hall around her in search of a certain brunette. "Can we talk? About Liz?"

And the desperation begins. Maria felt so sorry for Max, she really was hoping he and Liz would make it work, but Liz clearly didn't want to be Max's girlfriend, and she had to support her. "No, we can't talk about Liz," She told him firmly.

"What? But I thought…" He fiddled with his backpack strap. "I thought you were going to help me get her back?"

Maria pushed a long blonde lock out of her face and nodded. "I was, until Liz made it very clear to me, and you by the way, that she didn't want to get back together. I'm sorry, Max, but you need to move on to someone else." She wanted Max to be happy, but him crawling and begging after Liz like a lost puppy would only make him, and everyone else he talked to about Liz, miserable.

"I can't do that." Max admitted. "She's all I think about. She's my destiny, not Tess or any other girl."

Maria sighed; this conversation was going nowhere good. "I know you think that, Max. I don't doubt that you care about her, you love her, and you think she's the one. But she's not. If she was, then shouldn't she feel the same about you too?"

"She does. She's just worried that Tess and I are something we're not, and she doesn't want to get hurt again." Max smiled shakily.

Maria took a deep inhale. Why didn't Max realize that chasing after Liz like this would only make her run in the opposite direction faster? Most girls didn't like to be stalked or if they did they wouldn't admit it to anyone. "Max, she's not going to change her mind."

"How do you know that?"

"I know my best friend. And if you claim to love her so much, then you should know her too. Every time you beg and plead for her to take you back, it just makes her want to avoid you more. She's not going to suddenly change her mind about you two." Maria told him. "Just leave her alone and stop asking me to help you get her back. The only thing I will help you with, girlfriend, is moving on."

Maria gave him an 'I'm sorry' smile and left him standing in the hall.

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"Tess." Alex saw her walking toward her class.

Tess grinned at Alex as he weaved through people to come talk to her. "Hey Alex."

"Sorry I had to bail yesterday. I wasn't feeling very well and had to get out of there." He explained his quick getaway during computer class.

"Oh it's ok. How are you feeling now? Should you even be at school today?" Tess questioned worried for him. He didn't look well during their last class yesterday. He had been flushed and sweating, and he had been taking deep breaths that didn't seem to help at all.

Alex nodded. "I'm better. Still a little under the weather, but I should be fine soon. Listen, do you want to get together and work on the book this weekend?"

"Sure. That would be great. Where do you want to work on it?" Tess jumped eagerly at the chance to get started.

"How about my place? My parent's are going to be off on their second honeymoon, so no one should barge in and find us working on the different language."

Tess agreed to the place and reached into her backpack looking for a piece of paper. "Here, I'll give you my number so if plans change or you want to get together sooner, you can call me." When Tess couldn't find a piece of paper after thirty seconds she let out a little growl of frustration.

"You can just tell me the number. I'll remember it." His memory was fantastic. He still remembered security codes that Lydecker made him remember for a mission from when he was seven.

"Are you sure?" When Alex told her yes, she told him the number. "The only time I'm not available is after school till about six."

The warning bell rang above their heads, signaling that classes would start in three minutes. "I'll give you my address sometime today so you're not wondering around aimlessly in random neighborhoods." Alex waved and took off toward his first class.

As he got out of sight of Tess, he let out a huge exhale. The heat was still affecting him a bit. He didn't have the insane need to mate every available female, but he did still want to nuzzle up to Tess and find out exactly where on her body that she put that intoxicating scent she was wearing. Thank the Blue Lady for the warning bell.

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Alec, whose class was right next to the teacher's lounge, could not get Liz off his mind. That girl would be the death of him. After their hot make out session in his classroom for nearly a solid forty minutes, their lips were red and chapped, and he had a major case of blue balls.

She was such a tease; even though they had sex before that morning, they had, unfortunately, decided not to this morning. Neither really wanted to get caught, and if they had sex in the classroom, someone would come very quickly to investigate the sounds emanating from the room. From their one night together, they were a rather enthusiastic duo.

A disturbing thought crossed his mind, was she that enthusiastic with all hot teachers? The comment about the other teacher she kissed came back to him.

Scowling, he drank up the last of the awful fake coffee in his cup as he made his way toward the door. As soon as he started to walk out, another man walked in, and they nearly collided.

"Sorry about that," Alec quickly apologized, slipping back into his neutral expression.

"It's all right. You're the new teacher aren't you?" The other man asked.

Alec shook the man's hand. "Yes, I'm Alec Spencer, the new English and P.E. teacher."

"I'm Larry Seligman." He greeted back.

"Seligman?" Oh that girl was so going to get it today. The other guy was not what many would define as hot. Long face, grey hair, in his mid fifties, tired eyes with dark circles and bags under them, plus not the best physique he's ever seen. Alec suddenly felt a whole lot better. "You teach science right?"

"That's right. Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy. Anything that the principal needs me to do." He bitterly trailed off.

Alec stifled a smirk. Sounded like Seligman was unhappy with the amount of classes the principal gave him. Probably even had some issues with the students. No way would he try to flirt with one. Let alone his one. "Well, it was great to meet you. See you around."

He tapped Seligman on the arm and maneuvered around him. His special little student was going to pay for making him jealous. He straightened his suit jacket and light blue tie and went to his first class of the day.

TBC


	31. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

By the time his English class with Liz rolled around, Alec had come up with a game plan for getting back at his naughty student who let him be jealous over her possible relationship with another teacher. As soon as the previous English class left, he hurried to his next classroom, the one where Liz would be.

Alec got there within a minute and leaned against the front of his desk waiting for that beautiful brunette to pass the threshold. As he waited, he fiddled with the pieces of paper in his pockets. There were ten in total. Each one with a hand written sentence designed to tease her as he had been.

When Liz entered the room, her eyes immediately sought him out. However, there was barely enough time for either to do more than smile at one another before other students started pouring in.

He watched as Liz walked—well sashayed—down the aisle to her seat. There was an extra bit of swish added to that walk that was just for him.

Alec breathed in a bit heavier than normal but kept his slightly warm, nice guy teacher façade intact. Let her tease all she wants, he'd have the upper hand once class began. He made sure of it.

Students continued to make their way into the room and to their seats. One student made it just as the last bell rang. "Just in time." Alec told him.

With a nod and brief wave of acknowledgement, the student took his seat.

"Alright, well it seems I haven't scared anyone off from last class. I'll just take role to be sure, and then we'll get started on today's lesson plan."

He picked up the roster and read through the names as he had on the first day, except this time using the nicknames they asked to be called by. Once that task was done, he picked up another sheet. This one also had the student's names on it, only this one wasn't a role call sheet—it was a seating chart.

Alec had thought long and hard about this chart. Mostly though, he thought about where he wanted to put Liz while keeping an eye on X5-711 at the same time. He wanted to be able to look at one, Liz, and see the other, Alex, clearly. At first he thought of putting Liz in the back row; that way he could casually touch her or give her notes more often that wouldn't be caught by the rest of the students. However, if he did that, then Alex would have to be right next to Liz or in front of her, and since he planned on passing by Liz often, he'd be getting the back of Alex's head a lot.

With that being the case, he decided on Liz being in the very front row. Granted, he would have to be sneakier about his note passing or possible touching, but he'd be able to be at the front of the room and see Alex with little to no problem.

"Alright everyone," He held up the piece of paper. "This is the seating chart." Alec waited for the groans to pass before he continued. "So everyone, gather up your belongings, stand over on that side of the room," he pointed toward the windows, "and come forward and sit at the desk assigned to you when I call your name."

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Liz stood next to Alex in front of the cold heater and windows waiting for Alec to tell her where she'd sit for the rest of the year.

"So, where were you this morning?" Alex whispered in her ear.

Instead of answering, Liz smirked and quickly flicked her gaze over to their teacher, who called Tess's name and tapped the desk she'd been assigned too. Alex's new friend, and her still non-friend, would be sitting in the second set of desks from the window and two rows up from the front.

Alex chuckled lowly. "I knew it."

"Shut up. Not like you haven't gone to see Isabel in the early morning hours." She whispered back.

"Yea, but she's not exactly forbidden in the same way he is." He shot back smartly.

"Liz Parker." Alec spoke her name, and she whipped her widening eyes toward him. "Your new seat." He patted the top of the desk. Alec had placed her in the very front row, directly across from his desk.

With a nod, she went to the desk he indicated and sat. Alec continued calling out names, and Alex's seat was two seats behind hers. She smiled at her friend and brother and turned back to the front.

Alec made his way back to the front row of desks next to Liz. He, as if by accident, brushed his fingers against her elbow as he walked by. She kept the big grin that she so desperately wanted to give, hidden away and settled for a simple, sedated, nothing had happened face.

"Max Evans." When Liz heard that, the smile she felt bubbling up inside her quickly dissipated. Max would be sitting next to her for the rest of the year. Damn. She could hear it now, they were sitting next to each other, and clearly they were meant to be.

Liz inwardly flinched. She shouldn't be so hard on Max. They were at one point extremely close…or as close as she would allow herself to be to another person. She had been thinking of a future with him, and now she didn't. She had the whole summer to reevaluate her feelings for Max, but Max only had a couple weeks. Maybe she could ease up and not be so cold to him. She needed to talk to Maria about this.

Although she promised not to be cold to Max, she didn't smile back at him when he sat down next to her. She just nodded, acknowledging him, and played with the corner of her text book. No reason to get his hopes up.

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Alec hopped up onto his desk once everyone was in their assigned seats. "Ok. Now that we have that piece of business out of the way, we are going to start on our first week's assignment. It's something very easy and relatively painless. Write about what you did over your summer vacation."

Max raised his hand.

"Yes?" Alec pointed to him.

"How long does this have to be?"

"As long as it's more than a paragraph and less than a page, it'll be just fine. You'll all get twenty minutes to work on it, then you'll turn it in at the front here. When you each come up here with your finished paper, I will hand you questions for the first short story you'll be reading for this class. Once everyone has the assignment questions, we'll talk more about it." Alec explained to everyone. "Ok, your time starts now."

The entire class pulled out sheets of paper. A couple had to ask their neighbors for a piece of paper, not prepared at all for the unexpected assignment.

Alec briefly wondered what Alex and Liz would say they did that summer. They obviously couldn't tell the truth, but he was curious about what story they'd spin.

While the students wrote, some furiously and some as slow as molasses, Alec began to walk up and down the columns of desks. He had, in his spying on the real Alec Spencer, learned that the man could barely sit still. He preferred to move and be active, so he incorporated that into his façade of the real man. It also gave him ample opportunity to hand Liz the handwritten notes he planned to give her.

As he walked down the aisle that Liz sat at the front of, he carefully palmed the first of the notes. He momentarily stopped behind Liz, as he had with a couple other students, both male and female, and stood over her as she wrote. Alec knew the moment she knew he was behind her. Her pen jolted to a stop, it was only for a fraction of a second, but it was enough.

Casually, he dropped the small folded piece of paper onto her desk and then continued on his perusal of the other students work.

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Liz smirked at the paper drop. What was Alec up too? She didn't read the paper right away. Instead she finished the next two sentences of her assignment, and then, as nonchalantly as possible, opened it and laid it flat against her paper and desk.

_I can still taste you._

Liz straightened at the note. She coughed a little, hiding the surprised but pleased gasp. Max glanced over at her with a questioning expression, but Liz ignored it keeping her eyes trained on her paper.

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Alec had heard her gasp and cough when he went up to the blackboard and started writing some information down on it. _Take that you little minx._ He grinned widely at the board. Although they had kept their encounter that morning strictly to making out, that didn't mean their hands stayed in one spot.

His fingers had delved beneath her blue jeans as she rocked against his lap. They had both teased each other until their faces were flushed but neither giving the other that final moment of satisfaction.

Alec finished writing on the board, turned, and sat in the chair watching the students as they finished their paper. Liz, as expected, was the first one done. She stood up from her seat and took her paper up front setting it in front of him.

He smirked slightly but didn't give any other outwardly appearance of amusement toward her. Instead, he reached over to the right of him and gave her the questions for the next assignment, along with another handwritten note.

The only indication Liz gave to show she had the note was a simple quirk of the eyebrow. With a gentle pop of her hip, she made her way back to her seat. Alec leaned back in his desk chair waiting for the other students. Alex was next followed by more and more students until all the assignments were in. Again, this time as he handed the last student the set of questions, he saw the blush creep up Liz's chest and face as she read his note.

Clearing his throat, Alec stood up and put his hands in his pants pockets. "All right. Do you all have the questions?" The students nodded, except Liz, who was breathing a little harder than normal and rubbing the back of her neck. "Good. On the top of the page is where you'll find which short story, and its page number in your textbooks, you're going to be reading to be able to answer these questions. It's not too long, only ten pages. This assignment will be due on Monday of next week. Normally, these questions that go with the reading material will be given on a Friday and due the following Monday. Is that clear?"

Liz nodded and lifted her gaze to look directly at him. The blush that pinked her skin was still visible, but now there was a hint of defiance and retribution in her eyes. But was she going to wait till lunch, or would she start now? Within seconds, he knew his answer.

TBC


	32. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

That evil, evil man. Liz raised her gaze from the delightfully naughty note on her desk.

It was longer than the previous note from him. In this new one, Alec had painted a sensual picture with his words, which got anticipation charging through her and allowed her imagination and memories to run rampant.

Alec stood there, talking about the new assignment, all the while leaning against his desk keeping him a mere two feet away from her. His hands, once in his pocket, were now grasping the edge of the desk, with his fingers curling under it.

She wondered what exactly had brought on this sudden upgrade in teasing. And she wondered what could she do that would tease him just as bad?

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Only thirty seconds, at max, passed of him waiting to see if Liz would retaliate, but those seconds were near torture.

It became clear she had decided when she brought her right hand up and gently rested the bottom of her chin on her palm. She sent him a smirk and licked her lips slowly.

As Alec spoke about the assignment and what he expected to see when grading their papers, Liz raked a half hooded gaze inch by agonizing inch up and down his body as if remembering fondly the hours of pleasure from this morning and during their night together.

Alec covertly checked the clock on the wall above the door. Still fifteen minutes left of this class. He seriously wondered if he'd be able to stay right where he was without getting an erection.

Training at Manticore gave him the skills to control his body's reactions…to a certain extent. When being given a polygraph test he could give the proper bodily responses that would tell the technician he was telling the truth or a lie. He could control his sweating, blood pressure, and pulse rate for about an hour if he really pushed it.

He was fairly certain he could withstand the on slot of Liz's teasing.

However, despite the confidence in his control, he left the front of the desk and sat down in his chair behind it. No sense testing it. Especially in front of a room full of high school students. That would be awkward and difficult to explain.

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Although her mind wandered briefly on various teasing techniques, many learned at Manticore, there wasn't much she could do in a crowded classroom without calling attention to her actions. So in order to keep their secret affair secret, she kept her teases confined to smaller displays.

Casually biting and flicking her tongue against her index finger while staring a hole through the front of Alec's desk, giving the distinct impression to her intended target that her finger was something much more intimate in nature. As if that weren't enough she began stroking the thick pen she brought with her that day, with her fingertips, caressing the rounded tip of the lid with her thumb.

Alec cleared his throat and moved his chair deeper under the desk. Liz bit her lip, covering her excitement at his discomfort. As he continued speaking she stretched her back by pushing her chest out a bit, bringing his gaze to an area of her body that he spent a lot of time around since they first met. Unfortunately his attention wasn't the only one captured, Max, sitting on her right, also took note of her stretch.

Liz saw Max's eyes widen for a moment then lower slightly, she knew that look, and it was one she knew for sure Alec would be sporting himself if he wasn't facing a room full of teenagers. Plus she'd seen the look a time or two in her life as both a transgenic female and a regular high school girl.

She saw a flare of anger shoot up in Alec's eyes directed at Max but he quickly covered before anyone could notice his slip.

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Alec fought off the instinct to beat up the teenage boy next to his woman. One trait that his transgenic DNA had, that depending on his mood could be considered either a downside or an upside, was a certain level of possessiveness when it came to the things he wanted and had. In this case, Liz, it admittedly made him want to commit various acts of violence on the boy in the front row.

Instead he decided on a different tactic. On that wouldn't get him fired or kicked off the mission.

"Mr. Evans." He called out coolly. Max immediately jerked his gaze away from the tantalizing female to his left and stared at him.

"Yes, Mr. Spencer?"

"Can you please repeat what I just told the class?" Alec stood up from behind the desk, now that he had something else to focus on besides Liz, he didn't worry about an inappropriate reaction to Liz's teasing in front of the students. He walked back to the front, leaned on the metal desk and crossed his arms over his chest waiting for a response.

Max's mouth fell open a bit, desperately trying to remember any piece of information that Alec had given in the last ten minutes. Alec knew he wasn't paying a bit of attention to the homework instructions, hell he was the teacher and he wasn't entirely sure what he said, too busy remembering and imagining the joy of Liz's tongue on a certain part of his anatomy.

From the corner of his eye he saw Liz start to lean over to help Max out. No way, he wasn't going to allow that. "Don't help him Miss Parker." Immediately her jaw snapped shut.

"Um," Max cringed. "I don't really know." He softly said.

"Of course not. You were too busy staring at Miss Parker." [i]_And wondering how her thighs would feel wrapped around your hips.[/i]_ He finished silently. The class gave the typical "ohhh" to that little piece of information. A couple guys gave a few cat-calls making the blush on Max's face become a deeper red.

Liz glared darkly at him but Alec didn't care. For now, she was his, and dammit that meant he didn't want her to be the star of anyone's fantasies except his own. Maybe this lesson would keep Max's eyes to himself in the future. Lord knows it would certainly make Max think twice about it, especially when the result was getting embarrassed in front of the other students.

Outside the classroom the bell finally rang. "Find out what the homework guidelines are from another student. Miss Parker, please stay after for a few moments." Again there were murmurs but Alec doubted they thought anything untoward was going on.

The students gathered their belongings up and filed out of the classroom quickly, eager to take advantage of every second of their 10 minute breaks between classes. Once the last student left Alec got up and closed the door to the room, giving them privacy for a few moments.

As soon as the door shut Liz shot up from her desk. "What the hell was that about? You embarrassed Max in front of everyone. Was that really necessary?"

Alec stalked over to her, Liz backed up a bit till her butt hit the back of her desk. Once there he gripped the sides of the desk blocking her in. "Yes. It was necessary. I don't particularly like it when a boy barely out of puberty stares at my girl."

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It went against everything she was taught, in Manticore and out, but when Alec said 'my girl' she couldn't help but melt. She should hate that possessive streak he's exhibiting; she should knock him on the side of the head and tell him she wasn't an object to be owned. But some part of her knew he didn't mean it like that, it felt more like she was something precious and something that he wanted to keep in his life for as long as he was able but not something he'd force to stay with him.

Still, she couldn't let him know the extent of her pleasure at that. "Doesn't mean you can be rude to him. Before I met you we were an item. He didn't deserve that. Plus you weren't exactly ignoring my charms, if anything you wanted more." She whispered the last sentence close to his ear.

"Clearly you're not an item now. That means he no longer has his drooling and staring privileges." He lowly explained. "Besides," he pressed closer to her, inching her back further on the desk while pushing her thighs apart, "you loved my…appreciation of your charms. The hitch of your breath when you read my notes, the delicate blush on your chest, your teasing of me was getting you just as excited."

Although her breath now was coming out in short difficult bursts she managed to tell him. "Still you didn't have to be mean to him." He trailed his hand up her side, gently caressing the underside of her right breast with his knuckles. Her nipples puckered at his delicious teasing.

"You didn't like his attention." Alec simply stated.

It was true, she hadn't, but she didn't know Alec had noticed though. She probably should have told him again that it was unnecessary but she didn't. Instead she licked at Alec's earlobe and said. "I can hardly wait for lunch."

"Hmm, neither can I." He smirked against her cheek. He guided his fingers across the hem of her shirt determined to get closer to the treasures her shirt had been hiding.

BANG!

A locker slammed outside the classroom door. Startled Liz and Alec sprang apart, realizing they were getting carried away at the one time they shouldn't. Liz quickly hopped off the desk and hurried to gather her belongings.

Alec breathed a bit harder than before, scrubbed his face with his hands, and raked his fingers through his dirty blonde hair. "We need to be more careful in the future."

She nodded enthusiastically. "I know." She took one deep breath and slowed her heartbeat down to a normal speed. "Meet me at the bleachers at lunch; no one can be out there during that time." With a quick, barely there kiss, she scurried out of the room just as another student came in being completely unaware of what had transpired there earlier.

TBC


	33. Chapter 32

Note: Well, first off this didn't come out when I planned and I'm sorry about that. These last couple months I have been reading more during my free time than writing in my free time. Great for getting books I want to read off my pile but not so good my fics. Second, I thought that this would be a mostly Alec/Liz chapter but instead it's a Maria/Liz and Isabel/Alex/Tess chapter. Hope that's ok, since I already had a few Alec/Liz chapters in a row. Also I don't know if what adoption agency or what youth home was mentioned on the show that the Evans' adopted Isabel and Max from so I made one up. Hope everyone enjoys.

**Chapter 32**

School was over for the day. Liz couldn't help the sigh of relief. Her day hadn't been bad, in fact it had been anything but bad, but she was exhausted.

"Can I share that sigh?" Maria came from behind her and opened her locker. "Do teachers have a quota on how much homework to assign in the first week?"

"Maybe." She tossed some books into her bag then shut her own locker. "But I doubt it. Why?" Liz questioned easing her backpack on.

"Seven classes today and six of them gave me homework. I was almost surprised when Mr. Spencer didn't give homework for gym. Don't teachers realize the students have lives too? Far more interesting ones I might add." Maria threw a spiral notebook into her shoulder bag.

Liz chuckled at her dilemma and leaned against the locker next to her friend's. "Well you know my homework is available to copy if need be." She offered. Maria was smart, very smart as a matter of fact but she tended to use her smarts in other ways. Ways that didn't help when it came to academics.

Homework was that eight letter word that Maria wanted to avoid at all costs. She would much rather be writing a new song or figuring out the right melody to go along with it then learning about World War I or what the square root of eighty one was. Unfortunately that meant her grades suffered and occasionally she'd ask Liz or Alex to copy theirs, neither minded letting Maria copy.

"Thank God. I love having your and Alex's homework as a buffer." Maria whispered quietly so the teacher passing on the other side of the hallway didn't hear her.

"How's your latest song coming along?" Liz asked.

"Better now. Especially since I talked with Michael today at lunch. Ever since our conversation it's like my mind has opened up again." She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and closed her locker. The two stepped away from the row of metal, merging in with the rest of student body, and made their way down the hall.

"Is everything ok?"

Maria slowly nodded. "We decided to call it quits, for good this time."

"Is that what you want?" Because if Michael broke her friend's heart he could count on Liz not taking it easy on him the next time they sparred in the desert.

Again Maria nodded. "I'd been thinking about it for a while. I mean I love Michael, but I'm not in love with him anymore. Last year when he wasn't near me I thought about him all the time. What was he doing? What was he thinking? If he was gone for a couple days I missed him and wanted to call him just so I could hear his voice. This last month though, he was gone for five days on some Czech bonding thing and although I was worried about him, about them all, it wasn't the same."

Liz saw her friend's eyes mist over a bit. She wrapped her arm around her waist and comforted her as best she could while they continued walking. "I'm sorry Maria. Tonight when you come over we'll break out the Rocky Road and we can bash the guys in our lives as much as we want."

"Sounds like a wonderful plan. And while we're at it, you can tell me where you were all lunch period." Maria smirked; her sadness over the finality of her relationship with Michael was put on the backburner for now. There would be plenty of time to delve deep into her emotions tonight.

"Promise. Tonight I will tell you everything, which will include where I was at lunch."

"Ooo, now I'm intrigued. You've got to give me a hint. Does everything have to do with a certain English slash P.E. teacher?"

Liz laughed while scanning the area to make sure no one heard her excited friend. "Yes." Immediately Liz put her hand over Maria's mouth covering the surprised squeal. Once she was sure she wouldn't explode with loud shrieks she took her hand away.

"Sorry but this is awesome." Maria smiled warmly.

"What time do you get off work today?" Quickly changing the subject as a group of gossipy girls came around the corner.

"I'm only working half a shift today. Your Dad is trying out his two new waitresses today. He wants me and Agnes there to show them the ropes for a few hours before setting them off mostly on their own. So I'll be off no later six." Maria explained.

Liz nodded. "Great. I'll be finished with my homework by then. Do you want to have dinner with us?"

"Is your Mom cooking?" She asked.

"No. Absolutely not."

"Then I'll be there." Maria promised.

Once the two made it outside they went their separate ways. Maria jogged over to her Jetta, her shift started in thirty minutes and the Crashdown was nearly fifteen minutes away. Liz, after waving to her friend as Maria backed out of the parking spot, began the jog toward to the pharmacy. Mom had been having some knee pain and needed a stronger dose of pain medication then she could get over the counter, so Mom needed her to pick up her prescriptions. Maria had offered earlier in the day to drive Liz but since the pharmacy was in the opposite direction of the Crashdown Liz declined.

The warm wind pushing at her back propelled her a little quicker down the sidewalk. She dodged and weaved passed people, locals and tourists, and made it to the store in ten minutes.

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Alex glanced at his watch for the third time wondering if Tess had gone home early that day. He had planned to talk to her today during her computer class and his free period about possibly getting together that night to work on the Destiny Book but the teacher had wanted him to go help some students who were taking an advance computer class and needed some help, so he hadn't had the opportunity.

Now he stood in front of Tess's locker waiting for the short blonde to make an appearance. As he leaned against the row of lockers another blonde, this one nearly as tall as him in her heels, came up to him and kissed him on the lips. "You know I have a girlfriend. And she can get awfully possessive." Alex explained.

Isabel smiled and kissed him again. "I'm sure I can take her." She teased.

"I'd love to see that. Maybe get you two in bikini's and get some oil and have you fight it out. And the winner gets me." Alex grinned naughtily at his smirking girlfriend.

"Of course you would go there." She rolled her eyes but clearly wasn't upset at him. "Anyway," Isabel pulled away slightly, "as much as I would love to continue this I have to go to the Roswell Youth Home."

"Don't you think you have enough after school activities?" Alex asked a little put out. He knew as soon as he said it though that he could have put it better and Isabel made him very aware of that fact.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She backed out of his arms and glared at him.

Alex sighed. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. All I meant is that you go to school, you work three days a week at your Dad's firm, you're on the Sunshine Committee, and you have three other after school programs that you're a part of multiple times a week. I'm worried you're going to get burned out." He knew Isabel love volunteering and helping and he was proud of her but this schedule was going to kill her. Plus, to be completely selfish, he missed her and lately he'd been feeling like an afterthought. All she had time for lately was a quick kiss and then she was off on some other project.

Isabel stepped a little closer to him again, some of the tension having left her shoulders. "I know what you mean but everything I'm doing, I love to do. It makes me feel good to know that helping kids at the youth home, before Mom and Dad officially adopted me and Max we had to stay there and they were good to us. It wasn't home but it was as close as we had been at the time. When I volunteer at Roswell Hospital and I see the look on those people's faces that someone is there to visit them, that they matter to someone, it's amazing. I just can't give any of these up. I'm sorry if you don't understand that." She ended sadly. With a glance at the hall clock Isabel turned her gaze back to Alex. "I have to go or I'll be late."

Alex watched her go and while he was tempted to call her back and apologize, he refrained. He didn't think he was wrong, not completely anyway, about how many hours she was spending on the after school programs and the in school programs. He understood her desire to help people, it was one of the many qualities he admired about her, but he couldn't help but worry that she'd tire out sooner rather than later, and it was becoming more obvious to him that he wasn't a priority anymore. And that hurt.

A few minutes later Tess bounded around the corner and screeched to a halt when she saw Alex leaning against her locker. "Hey, where you waiting for me?"

Alex ran a hand through his short hair and nodded. "Yea I was. I know I said that I couldn't get together till this weekend but if you wanted to get started tonight on decoding that book we definitely could. My plans for tonight fell through so I'm free if you are."

Alex stepped back from her locker and Tess turned the combination lock. "That would be great. I won't be able to get together till about eight o'clock tonight though. I'm just starting my new job but after that I'm totally free."

"Great. What job did you get?" Alex wondered.

Tess looked a little embarrassed, if the blush on her cheeks was any indication. "I'm a new waitress at the Crashdown."

"That's great." Alex smiled a bit nervously. "Listen, don't take this the wrong way," Blue Lady knows he's already stuck his foot in his mouth once in the last five minutes, he really didn't want to do it again, "But is that going to be comfortable for you?"

Tess knew what he was getting at and it made her feel good that Alex cared. "You're worried that Maria and Liz will make it uncomfortable for me."

"To be perfectly honest, yea. I love those two but it's clear you're not their favorite person and they aren't afraid to let you know it."

Tess was silent for a few moments and Alex worried that he did in fact stick his foot in his mouth again, until she started speaking again. "I appreciate that you're concerned and I understand what you're saying and while I agree it's not going to be easy working in a place where there are a couple hostile employees, I'll be ok. I've had to handle a lot worse in my life."

"Well you'll actually probably have only one hostile employee, Maria. Liz did her final shift a couple nights ago. But watch out for Agnes, she tends to complain a lot and work very little. Oh and don't talk to her when she's on a smoke break, she'll bite your head off." Alex warned.

She laughed warmly. "Thanks for the heads up." Tess put her last book into her side pack and shut her locker. "So if you're not busy right now, do you feel like walking me to the Crashdown?"

"Sure. I can give you some more tips and tricks to waitressing." He offered.

"Should I be taking notes?" Tess teased.

Alex chuckled and teased right back. "It wouldn't hurt. The things I know about the Crashdown secrets could fill a novel." With that the two made their way from the school and started their walk toward Tess's new job.

TBC

Coming Up

Ch 33: Michael & Max talk (possibly argue) about a couple things. Maria & Liz have a girl talk and ice cream session. And Alex & Tess work on the destiny book translation, while working on it Alex finds out a little more about Tess than he knew.


End file.
